The kaleidoscope of our life together
by sasha272
Summary: This story gathers snippets of Sam and Lara's life as they make their way back to each other and try to find a happy medium between adventure and family life. Even if along the way, Lara loses herself in work, she will always find her way back to her wife, and then later, her daughter.
1. Chapter 1

**The kaleidoscope of our life**

 **A/n: I wanted to wait before posting this but I'm too scared of what will happen in Inferno and Shadow. If I publish it now, I won't have to change some parts to fit canon or delete the all thing because I'm upset and done with TR (even away from social media, spoilers seem to find me anyway). I only have two chapters so far and not sure when I'll feel like writing again, but even if I don't, you'll at least have 2 chapters to enjoy.**

 **In the comics, Lara focuses only on work and constantly talks to her dead father so I wanted to explore another facet of Lara and of course Sam. I wanted to go back to the first comics, when we were seeing a part of Lara's mundane life and her friendships and when it wasn't all about exploration and deaths.**

 **So if you're looking for a lot of adventure and archaeology, I'm afraid it's not the right story, but if you miss Lara's humanity and want to see how she struggles to forgive herself and finally be happy with Sam by her side, then jump on board with me.**

 **My time travel story could somehow fit in this universe.**

For a little part, you might find similarities with AgentAyu's story, "I'm in". We have the same headcanon and they know about it.

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

Lara destroyed the divine source. After all the research, the pain, sweat and blood, she destroyed what her father and then herself had spent so much time searching for.

She was sitting alone at a fire camp, lost in thought as The Remnants around her celebrated the departure of Trinity. What was she supposed to do now? What did she have to look forward to now? She knew her fight against Trinity was far from over, she still needed answers, but she was so tired of fighting and almost losing Jonah was forcing her to question some of her choices. She had pushed away almost everyone, and most hurtfully the person she loved more than any of them...

Lara noticed a figure approach and sit next to her. She smiled tiredly at Sofia as the woman offered her a bottle of an unknown alcoholic beverage. "Thank you." She took a swing of her drink and winced at the taste. "This is bad."

Sofia chuckled. "Sorry, we don't have anything fancy here."

Lara waved off the excuse. "It's alright, I've tasted worse…"

Silence settled as Sofia studied her. "Something is haunting you. Are you upset about the divine source?"

The Englishwoman shook her head. "No, I understand now that some things aren't meant to be found and shared with the world…"

"Is it about those Trinity men then?" Sofia questioned. "A lot of them died here."

"This is far from over, I still need to find who's running this group and… other things… I…" Lara sighed deeply. "Trinity killed my father, I want to know why."

"I understand your quest but revenge won't bring back the dead." The redhead said softly.

"I know…" The brunette took another swing of the bottle, barely wincing this time.

"It's a heavy burden you carry and a big fight you have ahead," Sofia stated, understanding more than anyone the weight of a war. "Don't you have anyone to help?"

"There is Jonah."

Sofia raised an eyebrow. "No one else?"

"It's my fight and I don't want to risk anyone's life especially… Wait…" Lara looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you asking me this?"

"While you were resting earlier, you called a name in your sleep," Sofia explained. "Sam? Who is he?"

"She," The Englishwoman corrected. "Sam is short for Samantha. And… She…" Her voice wavered as her friend's face flashed on her mind. "Did I really call her name?" She saw Sofia nod and slowly reached inside the pocket of her pants to pull out the crinkled picture of her and Sam at graduation. She had looked at their picture so many times since they had parted ways, every time she felt sad, or lost, or tired, she would stare at it and try to find the courage to keep going, because she knew that as long as Trinity was out there, people she knew wouldn't be safe. Sam would never be safe, no matter where she was. If they sent Ana as a mole to get intel from her father, who knew what else they could do if they found out about her friend.

Before Lara could speak, Nadia joined them and looked at the picture from above Lara's shoulder. "Oh, she's pretty, who is she?" She sat on the other side of the fire camp.

"Someone I had to leave behind." Lara cleared her throat, trying to push away the pang in her heart. "I'm not sure what we are anymore… We didn't leave each other on the best of terms."

"Come on, you don't just carry someone's picture everywhere with you if they don't matter." Nadia pointed out.

"She matters, that's why I stay away, to protect her." The Englishwoman didn't know if she was trying to convince them or herself.

Nadia scoffed. "You always sound so smart but seriously, that's the dumbest thing I've heard you say so far."

"Nadia!" Sofia chastised her.

"What? It's true!" Nadia rolled her eyes at Sofia before turning toward Lara. "Look at my grandparents, when someone matters to you, you don't give up on them, you hold on and keep them close. You're a warrior, shouldn't she be safer with you?"

"Or a target, look what happened to Jonah!" Lara argued.

"From what he said, Jonah chose to be here," Sofia jumped in. "He knew the risks but wanted to help you anyway. He is a warrior and I'm sure Samantha is one too."

Lara couldn't help but smile at the thought. Sam had been through so much, just like her, but she had faced the danger with her head high. "She is…"

"So maybe you should give Sam the same courtesy you gave Jonah." Nadia advised kindly.

"But Jonah used to be in the army." The Englishwoman countered.

"Were you?" Nadia asked, grabbing the bottle from Lara's hand.

"No but…"

"Then she can learn," Nadia cut her off before Lara could find another excuse. "You can train her, like my grandpa did with me, like Sofia does with the young ones. I'm not telling you to bring her in the middle of a crossfire, but there are many ways that she can help that don't require a weapon. She doesn't have to be out of your life."

"I understand your struggle," Sofia admitted. "I lost men and women in this battle, some were friends, even family. I wanted to keep them safe, but I knew they wanted to be by my side, to fight for our cause, it was not my place to take that away from them. It is dangerous, but perhaps it is her choice to make, some things or people are worth dying for…"

"I can't lose her," Lara confessed. "Not having her in my life is already painful enough, I couldn't bear it if she died because of me. I…." She loved her, she was in love with her best friend, even now and she was pretty sure Sam loved her too. But they thought they would have more time, she thought she would have more time to explore that part of their relationship but, nothing ever went as planned in her life… She cleared her throat. "I just can't, and if it means staying away, then I will."

The redhead reached out and patted her shoulder. "Think about it."

"And at least, check up on her," Nadia offered. "Maybe it could help you recharge or something, before going back to battle because no offense, you look like hell."

"None taken." Lara laughed. "I will consider it." Time and distance hadn't diminished her feelings, just increased her longing but after what had happened, she doubted Sam would want to see her.

Little did she know, Lara wouldn't have to wait long before seeing Sam again…

* * *

 _Like in the comics, Himiko completely took control of Sam and Lara freed her from the Queen's spirit._

Lara was staring at Sam's hospital room door from the hallway. Sam was free, she was herself again. It was finally over. Sofia and Nadia were right, Sam was a warrior who'd rather stab herself then let Himiko hurt her. But now Sam was in the hospital and all Lara could think about was sending her right back there because of her fight with Trinity. She refused to let that happen. She couldn't bring Sam back into her life, it was too risky, no matter what her friends from Kitezh thought.

Beside, Sam's mother was right, it was all her fault anyway if her friend was hurt. The best thing to do now was to leave Sam alone, to let her have a peaceful life, away from the dramas that seemed to follow her everywhere. Lara sadly glanced one last time in direction of Sam's room before making her way toward the exit. When she reached the courtyard, she buried her hands into her jacket pockets and felt the picture she had always with her. She pulled it and leaned against the wall of the hospital, needing a minute to breath. She looked at the photo as a lone tear fell on her cheek, they were so happy and carefree that day. God, she missed Sam so much…

As she held the picture tighter in her hand, Lara felt something unusual stuck behind it. She turned the photo over and saw a note. It was from Nadia. _'You never actually said who Sam was to you but I know love when I see it. The way you talked about her, it was the same way my grandpa used to talk about his long-lost love, until he got a chance to reunite. You told me it inspires you, gives you hope. You can have a second chance too, don't ruin it for the wrong reasons… Be happy, Lara Croft! Nadia.'_

"Oh, Nadia… I wish it was that simple." Lara whispered. But maybe Sam deserved an explanation before she disappeared. She couldn't go back now, Antonia had given the order to the staff that she wasn't allowed anywhere near Sam's room but maybe she could sneak in later in the evening, after visiting hours.

A few hours later, Lara was back at the hospital, moving stealthily along the corridors to avoid the nurses and doctors making rounds. Once she reached the right ward, she stopped at the corner of the hallway, poking her head to see if anyone was around Sam's room. From what she had gathered from the time she spent at Sam's bedside, the nurse should be on break right now, this was her chance. She walked toward the door but her hand stopped before reaching the handle. What if Sam didn't want to see her? Would she accept her apology?

"Excuse me miss, visiting hours are over, you shouldn't be here." A man said behind her.

Lara cursed herself before turning around to face a nurse. "I'm sorry, I…"

"You are Ms. Croft, Mrs. Nishimura specifically told us you weren't allowed to see her daughter." The tall man stated. "I should call security."

"Please no, I need to see her, please, it's important." Lara begged. "I know it's after visiting hours but I didn't have a choice."

The man sighed. "You seem like a nice lady but I could lose my job. Mrs. Nishimura is pretty threatening, I'm sure you know that."

"I… It's okay…" Lara sighed in defeat. "I don't want to get you in trouble." She stared at the floor, swallowing her disappointment.

"But..."

"Yes?" The Englishwoman looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Ms. Nishimura asks after you, a lot." He revealed. "You were at her side the first days then you disappeared before she woke up and after that, Mrs. Nishimura asked us to keep you away. I couldn't understand why but then I overheard her talking about how she never liked you two sharing an apartment and being inseparable and it clicked. Must be tough to have homophobic in-laws."

"What? We… I…" Lara stuttered.

"It's okay girl, I get it. I've watched your girlfriend cry over your absence too many times already. So I'll give you 20 minutes. Call it gay solidarity." The nurse winked and walked over to the opposite side of the room.

"Okay…" Lara frowned in confusion but quickly shook her head. No matter what the man thought about her, it got her time with Sam and it was all that mattered. She stepped in front of the door and knocked twice, then once. It was her signature knock. Then she slowly stepped into the room. "Sam?"

"Lara?" Sam sat up on her bed. "Oh my god, Lara, it's you. You're here, you're really here…"

Lara rushed over and hugged Sam. "I'm here."

"Don't ever leave me again." Sam declared, her voice cracking with emotion.

Lara broke the embrace. "Sam…"

"No!" Sam shook her head. "No, you better not be here for goodbye."

Lara opened her mouth. "I…"

"No!" Sam exclaimed.

"Sam, please listen to me. I…"

"No, you listen to me." Sam cut her off. "I know what you think, that this is all your fault, that I would be better off without you but I'm not, okay, I'm not. We're a team, we're equal so stop treating me as a fragile little thing. We said it would always be the two us, together always."

"But you were tortured, you almost died, once again, because of me." The Englishwoman reminded her dejectedly.

Sam grabbed Lara's hands and pulled her closer, forcing her to sit on the side of the bed. "Yes, because of Trinity and because of Himiko, you, Lara Croft, saved me."

"I can't…." Lara trailed off. "A lot of things happened and…"

"Then tell me all about it." Sam pressed.

Lara shook her head. "I can't, not now, we only have 20 minutes."

"No, we have a lifetime to catch up if you could stop being so stubborn and let me help you." Sam argued.

Lara squeezed Sam's hand. "It's too dangerous."

"It's dangerous no matter if I stay away or not so I'd rather be by your side. It's my life, it should be my choice." Sam raised her voice before softening. "If you love me, don't leave me behind, let me be a part of your life."

"That's not fair, you know that I… We…" The archaeologist stumbled on her words.

"We what? We were stupid and half oblivious to what was going on between us?" Sam offered. "Yeah, I know, but I'm done being stupid so please stop pushing me away."

"I'm not sure I deserve your forgiveness, let alone your love." Lara admitted sadly, staring at a spot on the sheet. "I don't even think with the life I lead that I'll live long enough to find happiness."

Sam put her index under Lara's chin and lifted her head so she could look at her. "If anyone deserves to be happy Lara, it's you."

"And you."

"Then let us move forward, together." Sam insisted again, trying to convince Lara to stop punishing herself. "It won't be easy and we have a lot of talking to do but we can make it, we always do."

"I…"

Suddenly, the nurse entered the room. "Sorry girls, it's time for Ms. Croft to leave."

"Please give us a few more minutes." Sam begged him.

The man smiled in apology. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"You have to come back tomorrow." Sam urged her friend.

"I won't be able to, your mother…" Lara stood up.

"Then send Jonah, my mom is okay with him being around." Sam told her. "Give him letters, tell me everything you can in them, at least until I'm able to leave this place, then we'll figure it out."

Lara smiled gloomily, slowly moving away from the bed. "I'll try."

"Bullshit." Sam grabbed Lara's wrist to keep her close. "That's not enough, promise me, Lara."

"Sam…"

"Girls, say goodbye now." The nurse said, slowly getting irritated.

"Fine, I promise." Lara caved, knowing deep down that she would regret it if she gave up on Sam again. "Now get some rest," She stepped closer to Sam and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"This is not goodbye, Croft, you hear me."

Lara chuckled. "Loud and clear." She waved before leaving the room.

* * *

With the help of Jonah, Lara and Sam were able to stay in touch, exchanging letters back and force for almost two weeks.

Once Sam was allowed to leave the hospital, she confronted her parents, telling them she wouldn't follow them back to Japan because her life was in London. The conversation quickly turned into a fight and Antonia ended up telling Sam that if she left the hospital now without them that she shouldn't bother coming back to them. Sam told her parents goodbye and left the place with Jonah without looking back.

* * *

Sam settled into the manor with Lara as they worked on rebuilding their relationship, as friends first, trying to heal themselves while still fighting Trinity. They talked about what happened to them during their time apart, Lara showed her some of her parents' journals and Sam tried to sooth Lara's guilt over everything that had happened in the past.

After a few months, they took their relationship to another level, the pull between them was so strong that they just let it engulf them.

The morning after their first time, Sam woke up in bed alone and frowned. Where was Lara? They had made love for the first time the night before and she had hoped for some morning cuddles to bathe into their bubble of happiness for a little longer. She thought the night was special, no matter if it sounded cheesy but, was Lara feeling the same way? Maybe Lara had had second thoughts and left her again.

Sam felt the panic slowly rising. "Lara?" No answer, she frowned. "Lara?" She stumbled out of bed and started looking for Lara around the manor, calling her name without success. Finally, after a while, she found her in the kitchen, making breakfast with her earphones on. "Lara!"

Lara smiled brightly at Sam but it quickly fell when she saw the distraught look on her face. She removed her earphone and quickly made her way across the room. "Sam, what's wrong, love?"

"You're still here." Sam sighed in relief.

"Well yes, I live here, where else would I be?" Lara answered confused, taking Sam's hands in hers.

"But you weren't in bed." Sam pointed out, holding Lara's hands tightly.

"I wanted to surprise you with some breakfast in bed, well if you can call it that, but some things are still in boxes and it took longer than I had imagined."

"I thought…" Sam's voice cracked and she felt a tear run down her cheek.

"Sam…" Lara pulled her closer and hugged her tightly. "What's wrong? Talk to me."

Sam sniffled before pulling away to try and explain. "I thought…" She cleared her throat. "I thought you regretted last night and left."

"What? No, of course not, last night was amazing…" Lara appeared at lost for words. "I would never do that to you." She softly wiped away Sam's tears.

"Except you did, you ran away and left me behind a few times before and I…" Sam trailed off, stopping her words as she felt tears gathering back in her eyes.

Realization seemed to dawn on Lara. "God, I'm so stupid. I should have left a note on the pillow, or just stayed with you, I'm…" They had talked about their fears a few times already, she knew Sam was afraid she would be left behind once again. She would always blame herself for that, for hurting Sam when she had always been the most important person in her life.

"No, that's, that was really sweet of you." Sam quickly reassured. "It's me, I'm just fucked up."

The Englishwoman shook her head. "You're not, if anything, I'm the fucked up one."

"You're not." They both chuckled before Sam stated. "I think we still have some work to do on ourselves and well, us, if that's still what you want…"

"Yes, I want you to be mine, officially. I wanted to ask you after breakfast but well..." Lara shrugged helplessly.

"It's okay." Sam leaned toward Lara and kissed her tenderly. "Come on, get your tray and take your girlfriend back to our room."

Lara chuckled. "Yes, dear."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A/N: Reviews make my day**

* * *

After months of work, the main part of the Manor was finally renovated. Despite being reluctant at first due to the importance of the Manor in the Croft family, Sam ended giving her input on the renovation after Lara claimed it was her home too and it should match both of their personalities.

The place was also less empty after Winston moved back in to work for them. In spite of his age, the old man had insisted he should serve the Croft until his last breath. It was nice to have some help around the house, especially when they spent most of their time researching for their next expedition in Peru.

Sam knew Lara was still wary about letting her come along and she knew, in the future, they would have to make concessions on when they would go on expeditions together and when Lara would go alone.

When they weren't working in their private library, Lara was teaching Sam to defend herself, from basic combat moves to weapons.

* * *

One day, while Winston was out running errands with Jonah, Sam and Lara decided to indulge themselves and spent a part of the afternoon watching movies.

They were cuddled on the couch, Sam commenting on the poor directing choice to Lara's amusement when they heard a commotion outside.

"What was that?" Sam asked as she paused the movie.

"I don't think Winston and Jonah would make that much noise." Lara disentangled herself and stood up to look through the window. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"What?" Sam joined her girlfriend at the window.

"Trinity…" Lara stated. She grabbed Sam's hand and started running toward her study, opening her gun safe and taking out her weapons. "I only saw a dozen agents, if they don't call for back up, we should be okay. Use the safe door and go hide in the secret room, you'll be safe and text Jonah not to come back yet."

"Like hell I'm going to let you do this alone!" Sam brushed past Lara and grabbed a handgun. "We're in this together."

"No, it's dangerous." Lara said as she geared up.

"And we had this talk before, I won't argue with you again, this is my house too and I won't let them barge in as if it's happy hour at the Nine Bells." She grabbed a holster and put it around her thigh. "You trained me for this exact reason."

"Sam."

"Lara."

Their staring match was interrupted by an explosion coming from the front door. "Fine, but stay behind me and do as I say." She grabbed her bow and handed Sam the shotgun.

"Okay, it's really not the time but it's a bit of a turn on when you say that."

"Definitely not the time, no." Lara slightly glared at her. She took a Kevlar vest and strapped it on Sam. "Let's go. Be silent now."

Sam pumped her shotgun and nodded as she silently followed her girlfriend into the hallway. Lara spotted the group of men in the hallway and didn't waste a minute to throw an explosive device at them, killing four of them on the spot.

"We just finished redecorating the foyer!" Sam whispered-yelled, already thinking about the work it was going to be to clean up.

"Well, I guess you'll be busy furniture shopping in the next few days."

"You threw that thing, you can bet your cute ass I'll drag you with me as soon as we're safe." Sam informed her.

"Yes! Hush now." Lara leaned against the wall as she saw two men rushing toward the East wing. She grabbed an arrow and notched it before aiming at the first man, who quickly fell dead as soon as the arrow pierced his skull. His confused teammate turned around, ready to shoot. Without missing a beat, Lara shot another arrow and killed him. She noticed some movement from her periphery and pushed Sam backward.

As Sam turned around, she was met with a man in full gear. "How the fuck did you…" She didn't have the time to finish that the man punched her and she stumbled to the floor.

"You bastard!" Lara pulled out her handgun and moved forward to shoot three bullets right against the side of the agent's Kevlar vest, where the protection wasn't maximum before bashing his head against the wall. She was about to turn toward Sam to check on her but another man showed up, she swiftly grabbed Sam's shotgun from the floor and shot at him. She scanned her surroundings and when she was sure it was clear, she helped Sam to stand up. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live." Sam touched her temple with her hand for a few seconds to try and focus back on the situation. "Where the hell are they coming from?"

"They must have broken a window. Come on." Lara gave her back the shotgun. "We're gonna have to protect the house better after that."

"No shit. We should put cameras around the property and get an alarm system at least."

"Yes, something like that." As they turned around the corner, another Trinity agent approached them but to Lara's surprise, Sam was the first to shot him with the shotgun. She looked at her girlfriend in awe. She knew Sam could give someone a run for their money even armed with just a dessert but it was something else to witness it, especially since Sam had never been fond of firearms.

"What?" Sam frowned. "Did he mess up my face so bad?"

"No, no, you're still as beautiful as always." The English woman smiled.

"Sap!" Sam winked before moving further.

Lara shot the man on the floor again to make sure he was dead before following Sam.

They found three other men, one of them ended up giving Lara a bit of a trouble as she wrestled him on the floor. After some struggle, she broke his neck and heard Sam wince. She looked at Sam, scared to see fear or judgment in her eyes from the level of violence she could use sometimes but could only see concern.

"Are you okay?" Sam extended a hand to pull Lara up.

The Englishwoman nodded. "I think it was the last one."

"I couldn't shoot him without risking hurting you." Sam cupped Lara's cheek softly. "I guess you'll have a few bruises to go with mine. I know I'm a fashion guru but I don't think it's a trend you should follow."

Lara chuckled before kissing Sam's wrist and stepping away. "I'll try to remember that. Let's…" She didn't get the time to finish as Sam pushed her to the side and shot at a man who cried in pain before hitting the floor.

"I guess there was still one left." Sam said, still keeping her eyes glued to the dead body and her handgun raised as if he could stand up again.

Lara looked at the agent and when she saw the pool of blood around his head, she slowly lowered Sam's gun. "It's okay, love, it's over. It's okay…"

Sam finally blinked and made eye contact with Lara. "Let's make sure of it."

They searched the house for a while but didn't find any other agents. What they found however, was an order of mission on one of the men, asking the team to bring back Lara and Sam's research. They expected the house to be empty, that was why they didn't send more men or why they weren't more violent, they weren't there to kill them.

* * *

Jonah showed up with Winston just when Lara was finishing dragging the last body in the corner of the foyer. "Lara? Sam?"

"We're here!" Sam answered as she finished cleaning what was left of the coffee table with her broom.

"Are you alright, Lady Lara?" Winston asked. "Lady Sam?"

"We're alright." Lara replied as she and Sam joined them in front of the now missing front door.

"What happened?" Jonah questioned as he looked at the mess.

"Sam woke up this morning and decided she didn't like the couch in the foyer after all." Lara shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's a bit extreme, even for you two." Jonah scowled, not in the mood for a joke. "What really happened?"

"We were attacked by Trinity." Sam jabbed her thumb toward the pile of bodies in the corner.

"They were looking for our research." The Englishwoman elaborated.

"Again?" Jonah groaned. "Did they find anything?"

Lara shook her head. "We didn't give them the time to." She sighed tiredly. "I just hope they won't send anyone else before we leave for Peru."

Winston walked further into the house and shook his head. "Oh dear, this is going to be a lot of work to clean up."

"Don't worry about it, Winston old boy, we'll take care of it." Sam reassured him. The man might work for them but he was too old for this kind of drama. Hell, she wasn't thirty yet and she was also too old for it.

"We just need to figure out what to do with the bodies, we can't really call the police…" Lara trailed off.

"I can help you with that," Jonah offered. "I know someone. Let me give him a call."

* * *

Later at night, after a few men had come to 'clean up' the house, Sam and Lara went to their room to get some rest, as Jonah kept watch downstairs, at his insistence.

"Sorry the house is a mess." Lara said as she laid on the bed, resting her back against the headboard.

"It's okay, I really wasn't a fan of that couch anyway." Sam finished checking her black eye in the dressing table mirror before turning around to smile reassuringly at her girlfriend.

Lara patted the spot next to her to invite Sam to join her. "How are you feeling?"

"Well," Sam walked toward the bed and shrugged. "I guess it's safe to say that I'm far from being GI Jane yet."

"You did well," The Englishwoman reassured her. "Maybe we need to work more on close combat but you're a good shot."

The smaller girl plopped herself on the bed and copied Lara's position. "Yeah, now that the adrenaline is wearing off, I realize that I killed a man."

"I'm sorry." Lara apologized dejectedly. She had promised herself she would keep Sam safe and at the first attack from Trinity, she had already failed. "I knew this would happen, I shouldn't have let you…"

"Don't." Sam held up her hand to stop Lara's apology. "You didn't let me do anything, I chose to be in your life, it's my decision."

"But they will come back." Lara insisted, trying once again to make Sam see it was dangerous to be with her.

"Then, we'll be more prepared. We're gonna train harder and I…"

"Sam, please…"

"No!" Sam exclaimed before sighing tiredly. "Besides, It's not like I haven't killed before so…"

"But they could kill you and I'd never forgive my..." Lara was ready for another speech about the risks when she registered what her girlfriend had just said. "Wait, what did you say? Himiko killed those men, not you."

"In Yamatai," Sam specified. "And it was all me."

"You killed someone in Yamatai." Lara repeated slowly, trying to pinpoint at what moment it could have happened.

"Surprise!"

Lara frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you've never asked?" Sam said, a little more harshly then she should.

"That's not fair," Lara sat up to face her girlfriend. "I tried to but…"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Sam grabbed Lara's hand. "I don't mean to be snappy." She started playing with her girlfriend's hand as she kept talking. "But I knew you would try to push me away as soon as something like today happened."

The Englishwoman laid back down and pulled Sam with her so they could cuddle. "I don't want you out of my life but I'd rather suffer from your absence and knowing that you're safe than watch you die."

"I'm safer with you by my side." The documentary producer assured her.

"Or more likely to get hurt." Lara pointed out.

"Lara we had this talk already, a hundred times, I'm tired of it… I'm not going anywhere," Sam tightened her hold as if trying to prove her point. Their fights always started the same and their arguments wouldn't change, it was like a broken record. They were working on it but she knew that until Trinity was defeated, they would continue this push and pull. "If anything I'm even more convinced than ever that you need someone to watch over your cute ass, today you…"

"I would be dead if it wasn't for you," Lara finished for her, aware that she hadn't expected the man to come out of nowhere. "Thank you, I... thank you."

Sam shrugged, trying to be nonchalant even though she could still see the agent aiming at Lara and her bullet hitting his brain. She shook her head to push away the memory. "Well, you saved me a few times too so it's okay. Let's just not make it a habit though, okay?"

Lara chuckled. "Let's try yes..." They cuddled for a moment in silence until she asked her burning question. "I need to know, what happened in Yamatai?" When Sam first moved in with her, they had therapy together – aside from their own private session - for a few months as they tried to rekindle their relationship. They had to talk about Yamatai and how they felt after that. She had learned how Sam had experienced the island, what happened to her when they were separated. They didn't share everything, some confessions were kept just between them, when they would lay together in the dark night. She knew that some things were still left unsaid, not because they wanted to hide them, but because they were still too painful, too fresh. She focused back on the present when she heard Sam talking again.

"After we talked through the wall and you told me to go ahead so you could catch the helicopter, I ran into some Solariis more than once before I reached Jonah and Reyes." She sighed loudly. "I asked them to let me go but they kept coming closer, just as the times before. I still had my gun and when they still didn't back down, I shot one. I was kinda aiming for the shoulder like I did with the others but I saw the hole in his chest before he fell to the ground."

"Maybe you didn't kill him, maybe he was…"

"Shot somewhere else than the heart and bled to death cause there was no hospital around?" Sam guessed. "Yeah, same thing."

Lara kissed her girlfriend's forehead in comfort. "I'm sorry…"

"What are you sorry for?" Sam raised the hem Lara's shirt and started drawing small patterns on her stomach.

Lara shrugged. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"You lived it too." The documentary producer reminded her.

"But it's different." Lara argued.

"Why?" Sam questioned. "Because you killed a hundred or because you had Roth?"

"Maybe a bit of both." Lara shrugged again. They might not have experienced the same things but they had both suffered. She didn't want to compare scars, she just thought Sam deserved happiness more than she did and she would carry the weight of Sam's pain if she could.

Silence filled the room as Sam kept caressing Lara's stomach. "It's weird, I know we're not out of the woods yet with Trinity and that we're still healing but killing a man doesn't make it to the top of the most traumatizing things that have happened to me. I guess I have Himiko to thank for that. Until now it was at the back of my mind but it all comes back to me now that it happened again. I guess it never really goes away, does it?"

"It doesn't. Although…" Lara seemed to hesitate but when she saw the reassuring smile Sam was giving her, she decided to share her fear. "I don't know if at some point you don't get desensitized..." She stared at the foot of the bed to avoid Sam's gaze. "I mean, I know I can turn into some kind of monster when the adrenaline kicks in and I'm afraid that someday you…"

"Hey, no, you're not." Sam interrupted quickly, forcing Lara to look at her. "You're not a monster," She repeated to make sure her words would get into Lara's head. "You didn't get up one day and decide to shoot people. We were on an island where everyone was trying to kill us so you did what you had to do in order to survive. Just like we did tonight when Trinity attacked us. It's like… war I guess, you don't want to kill but it's you or the enemy so you just pull the trigger. It has an impact on you, you're not a sociopath who doesn't care or take pleasure in murdering people."

"I..."

Sam's frowned. "What's wrong?"

Lara detangled herself from Sam. "I have to tell you something but I'm afraid that once I'm done, you'll be scared of me and that you'll run as far away as you can."

"You know," The documentary producer started. "For someone who tries to push me away every time something dangerous happens, you are definitely scared to see me walk away."

"Sam, this is serious."

"Sweetie, there's nothing you can tell me that will ever make me think less of you, I promise."

Lara bit her bottom lip nervously. "Don't promise anything before you hear what I have to say."

"Tell me." Sam prodded gently.

The Englishwoman put some distance between her and her girlfriend, as if bracing herself for the worst and cleared her throat. "I killed Konstantin, I told you he was dead but I didn't go into details. We fought for a while, until he fell to the ground, bloody and battered. I think he knew it was the end so he started saying all these things about my father to get a rise out of me. I could have just walked away and let him bleed to death, but I turned around and shot him, telling him to go to hell. And I, well…" She sighed. "A part of me enjoyed it." Once the confession was over, silence settled. Lara saw Sam puff some air before opening and closing her mouth a few times. Taking it as a bad sign, she panicked, raising on her knees to try and plead her case. "I swear I'm not deranged, I usually don't kill unless I have another choice but…"

"Lara…" Sam tried.

"But he hurt so many people and Ana..." Lara continued.

"Lara, stop, it's okay." Sam grabbed her girlfriend's hands and pulled her down so she could sit in front of her. "I wasn't rethinking my promise, I was just taking it all in and trying to formulate my thoughts. Konstantin was the real monster, he killed and injured a lot of people, he hit you and manipulated you with his bitch of a sister. I can't blame you for feeling a bit of joy at the fact that one less asshole is walking the earth. The fact that you feel bad afterward shows that you're not deranged, you're just human."

Lara sniffled in relief before throwing her arms around Sam's neck, hugging her tightly as they laid down on the bed. "You always know what to say to calm me down."

"I know, I'm awesome." The documentary producer joked to lighten the mood as they both laughed.

Lara settled on top of Sam and kissed her tenderly. After a moment, she pulled away slightly. "If I don't die and if you don't come to your senses and run away, I promise I'm going to marry you someday. I'll work every day to make sure you have everything you deserve."

Sam cupped Lara's face in her hands and looked into her eyes. "Are you serious?"

Lara nodded. "Dead serious."

Sam squealed and kissed Lara all over her face. "I can already tell you the answer will be yes but don't go cheap on the ring, if I have to be a Countess, I want to show it off."

Lara rolled to the side and grabbed a pillow before hitting her girlfriend with it. "You're incorrigible!" She sat up.

Sam followed suit as she smiled brightly. "That's why you love me."

The Englishwoman smiled fondly. "I do."

"Psshhttt" Sam waved her hand. "Don't spoil the end, the wedding isn't now."

Lara laughed freely, soon joined by her girlfriend. Once they calmed down, she added. "Thank you for being in my life, I love you." She was still a work in progress, struggling to accept that she also had the right to be loved and happy. She had an inkling that Sam was struggling with that too. It would take some time, but maybe together, they could make it.

"Thank you for being in mine, I love you too." Sam leaned forward to capture Lara's lips.

* * *

Lara woke up last the next day, to her surprise. She wouldn't have minded cuddling a bit more with Sam before breakfast but then she remembered the mess around the Manor and knew they had work to do. She slipped on her robe and went to look for her girlfriend. If Sam was out of bed early, it meant she had something on her mind. She found her in the foyer, mopping the floor while singing as Winston was dusting the fireplace. Lara stopped at the top of the staircase and watched the scene fondly, a smile on her face.

" _Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you."_ Sam was swirling around, using the mop as a microphone. _"Is it the look in your eyes or is it this dancing juice. Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you. Oh, I'll go get a ring, let the choir bell sing like, ooh…"_

The Englishwoman's smile widened. She had always loved Sam's voice, but there was something magical when she was singing. Not a lot of people know she could carry a tune but around Lara, Sam was always breaking into songs, serenading her with the cheesiest song possible to her pleasure and embarrassment. After their last conversation, Lara knew where the inspiration came from.

"You seem more cheerful than usual, Lady Sam." Winston noted. "I would expect you to be displeased by the state of the manor."

"Well Winston old boy, you know what they say, when life gives you lemons, make margaritas." The documentary producer declared.

"I don't believe that's the correct saying, my dear."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, but lemonade is so bland, it's nice to shake things up a bit."

Lara tried to hold back her laughter. Sam had taken on the habit to call the butler old boy - to the man's chagrin - in order to push him to stop calling her by her last name but the nickname had stuck even after Winston started calling her lady Sam. Deep down, Lara was sure the old man had grown fond of it but would take the secret to his grave and keep feigning annoyance.

"I don't know about lemonade, but I fancy some tea." Lara declared, finally announcing her presence.

"Lara!" Sam grinned, meeting her girlfriend at the bottom of the stairs to kiss her good morning.

"I'll bring you some with toast, Lady Lara." Winston answered before disappearing down the hallway.

Lara kissed Sam more fully now that they were alone. "You're up early."

Sam shrugged. "I couldn't sleep anymore."

"Let me guess, does it have something to do with what you were singing?" Lara raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe?" The documentary producer smiled innocently.

The Englishwoman chuckled before pinching Sam's cheek. "Aren't you precious?"

"Unless you've changed your mind?" Sam was smiling but there was a glimmer of uncertainty in her eyes.

"Not a chance." Lara assured. "But unlike the lyrics of the song, we won't be plastered and we will do things properly."

"Oh, Lara Croft," Sam put a hand on her heart. "Romantic in disguise."

Lara shoved her gently. "I just want you to have the best I can give you."

"I have you, it's all the best I need." Sam answered sweetly.

The archaeologist snorted. "Who's cheesy, now?"

"Shut up and kiss me, Croft."

Lara smiled. "Yes, dear."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

A/N: I don't know how things are gonna go down with Trinity, Cardinal and all that, so I'd rather not write about it so the story can stay close to canon, at least on that part.

Sorry for the late update, I got a new job and no energy to write when I come back home. I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter. Reviews make my day.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, the couple and Jonah traveled to find the man behind Trinity and Richard's death.

Their adventure was a blur, a mess of blood, pain and tears. Sam saw so many dead bodies that after a while, she had lost count. She fought alongside Jonah and Lara, as much as she could, as long as she could, until one day, Lara sneaked out of their camp in the middle of the night, leaving a note saying. _'This is a fight I must finish alone. Forgive me. If I don't come back, please know that you are my greatest love and I wish we had more time. Remember me. Yours, Lara.'_

Sam was furious that Lara had left her behind once again. But then, anger slowly turned into sorrow when she realized that, for the first time, Lara's words sounded final, not like a goodbye, but more like a farewell, like her girlfriend knew she wouldn't make it out alive.

Worried, Jonah and Sam tracked Lara down but finding her took them more time than they had expected. When they finally found her, Lara was lying in a pool of blood, surrounded with bodies, her back leaning against the wall and her gun still aimed at the dead Trinity leader.

"Lara!" Sam gasped in horror at the sight, with all the wounds covering her girlfriend's body, it was a miracle that she was still alive. She rushed at her side as Jonah checked if the perimeter was secured. "You're alive." Her hands hovered over Lara's body, as if afraid a touch would make it worse.

"Just a flesh wood, love." Lara smiled lazily, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"You're stupid!" Sam exclaimed.

"Glad to see you too." The Englishwoman joked despite the pain.

"This is not funny, Lara." Sam chastised, trying to fight her tears. "You'd better stay alive because I'm planning on lecturing your cute ass so bad later, you're gonna wish you were dead. Do you hear me?" She sniffled.

Lara chuckled before coughing. "Can't wait…" She painfully reached out for Sam's hand, squeezing it before closing her eyes.

"Jonah, we need to help her now!" Sam urged as the man joined them back.

"We can't leave on foot, we'll never make it out to civilization in time." The ex-soldier pointed out.

"There's a chopper… not far from here…" Lara informed them, breathing through the pain.

Sam nodded, motioning for Jonah to carry Lara outside. "Okay, let's go." She stepped forward, weapon in hand in case a mercenary had survived.

"Sam?" Lara called as Jonah gathered her in his arms.

The older woman turned around. "Yes, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry. I love you." The archaeologist said weakly.

"No, you stay with me Lara." Sam answered frantically. "Lara!"

* * *

Beeping noises, steady and regular, that was all Sam heard for a week. She had spent her days staring at Lara's chest moving up and down, the only sign that the love of her life was still alive.

Lara was in a bad shape after Yamatai but it was nothing compared to the state she was now. She looked so small in that hospital bed, battered, bruised and barely recognizable.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Lara finally opened her eyes, lazily smiling at her girlfriend as if she hadn't been close to death. Sam had cried in relief, holding her and kissing her before calling her stupid over and over again.

Lara wouldn't leave the hospital for a while, but she was alive and that was all that mattered, their talk could wait for another few days.

* * *

Sam and Lara were back at the manor. The nightmare was finally over. Trinity was gone and they were finally free to move forward without fearing for their life.

The couple had fought over what happened but they came to see each other's point of view and decided to move past it.

Lara was still recovering from her numerous injuries but at least she was out of the hospital where Sam thought she would never make it. Jonah and her were luckier but they also had their fair share of wounds and suffering.

As Sam helped Lara settle in bed for the night, the Englishwoman asked. "What do you want to do now that our fight against Trinity is over?"

"Well, we're gonna wait for you to feel better." Sam tucked the sheets under her girlfriend's chin and kissed her nose. "Then, I think we deserve some nice vacation somewhere peaceful."

"I would love that." Lara smiled. "And after?"

Sam joined Lara under the cover, carefully pulling her closer so they could cuddle without Lara hurting. "I gave it a lot of thought and I want to create my own production company. I don't really talk to my parents anymore and even if I did, I wouldn't want to work for my father, I want to earn my success." She sighed. "Except after my little stay in a loony house and how they debunked the both of us after Yamatai, my reputation is pretty much ruined so…" She shrugged the shoulder Lara wasn't resting against. "It sounds like a good idea."

"I think it's a great idea." Lara said encouragingly.

"You think?"

"Of course. You are amazing at what you do, I see no reason why it wouldn't work out." The Englishwoman reassured. "And I'll be there every step of the way, you have my full support."

"I'm glad you say that." The filmmaker smiled cheekily. "Because it means I'm gonna have to follow you on your expeditions."

"Sam…"

"Maybe not the Trinity crazy type of level, because I doubt the BBC would appreciate men shooting at an archaeologist who then would throw a bomb, effectively getting rid of them and century-old vestiges at the same time. Although I hope we won't have any more of those…" Sam explained, knowing full well they would have to discuss the topic again. "But I can document mercenary free expeditions, just you discovering new places and nerding out about relics."

Lara massaged her temples with the tip of her fingers. "Why do I have the feeling we are going to fight about this in the future?"

"Because we are both stubborn but we're gonna have to compromise, you know that right?" Sam pulled away slightly to make eye contact with her girlfriend. "If we want this relationship to last, and I want it to, we have to be equal, partners. I won't stay behind while you risk your life somewhere to reveal another secret to the world."

"And what will you do when you can't come with me?" The archaeologist questioned.

"If." Sam emphasized. "If I can't come with you, I'll produce other documentaries." She shrugged. "I mean, I'll have to prove myself first but with you as my main star, I'm sure we'll have enough of an audience." She smirked at the sight of Lara's face before saying. "Although maybe not if you look like a Smurf like you do right now with the bruises but…"

Lara pinched Sam's thigh under the cover. "I don't like you very much right now."

Sam snorted. "I have proofs that say otherwise."

"Have you, now?" The Englishwoman asked amused.

"Mhh Mhh," The documentary producer hummed. "No take backs."

Lara chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it." They stayed in comfortable silence until she added. "I know I can be difficult but I'm trying. Please be patient and never think that I don't value your opinion or want to take your agency away. I just… I love you and I want to protect you. "

"I know that, sweetie and I feel the same way. We just need to talk to each other, like we're doing now and we'll be fine." Sam kissed Lara's temple lovingly.

* * *

A month later, Sam decided to clean up the studio, making it look more professional as she set up her new material. She was ready to start her own company and had filled most of the paperwork. She knew that later on, she would have to buy an office in the city and get an assistant but for now, it was perfect.

As she rummaged through some boxes on the little mezzanine, she found a picture of Lara's parents. They were in the Manor garden, standing close to each other as Richard offered a flower to a smiling Amelia. "It would make a great painting." Sam stated out loud when an idea popped into her head. She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her Facebook contacts. She had a friend in Uni, Chloe, who could draw anything and thanks to social media, Sam had discovered the woman had just opened her own gallery. She was the perfect person to paint Lara's parents and Sam knew her girlfriend would love the gesture, major brownie points for her.

Chloe was happy to hear from Sam and glad that she was finally with Lara. "About time you two stop being oblivious." was her first answer before agreeing to paint something for Lara. Two weeks later, the painting was in Sam's studio, wrapped around a sheet to keep it a surprise.

The next day, Sam went to Lara's study and smiled at the sight in front of her. The woman was reading a book, her feet on the desk as she leaned back on her chair. She was focused, squinting her eyes despite her reading glasses being right next to her because apparently, her girlfriend insisted that she didn't need them. Stubborn as a mule, Sam thought fondly.

"Hey sweetie, you're busy?" The documentary producer asked, breaking the silence.

Lara looked up, her face brightening up, as always, as soon as she noticed Sam. "For you, I can always find the time." She pulled her feet off the desk and stood up.

"Smooth talker." Sam chuckled. "Come on, I have a surprise for you." She offered her hand, Lara taking it as soon as she was close enough.

"Where are we going?" Lara questioned, following her girlfriend down the hallways.

"To my office, Miss Croft."

Lara chuckled at the answer. "Oh, aren't you all professional, Miss Nishimura?"

Sam laughed. "That would make a good opening for a low budget porn."

"Sam!" The archaeologist shoved her with her shoulder. "You're incorrigible!"

"Don't speak too fast, you might want to thank me after what I got you!" Sam wriggled her eyebrows.

"Now I'm scared." Lara declared as they reached the studio.

The producer let go of Lara's hand and moved next to the covered painting. "So, I was cleaning up the place a bit to make space for my new cameras and stuff and…" When she saw Lara scan the room, she rushed to say. "I mean, I haven't touched most of your mother's stuff, don't worry."

"You can, this is your office now, love, I won't mind." The Englishwoman reassured. "There are enough rooms in the Manor to keep her things."

"I know but…" Sam waved around the room. "I like to have some of her paintings around, it's like being connected to her even though we never met…"

Lara smiled softly. "I'm sure she would have loved you."

The older woman smiled back. "She made you, so I'm pretty sure I would have loved her too."

The archaeologist stepped closer and kissed her girlfriend. "When you say things like that, it's hard not to love you."

"Why?" Sam frowned. "Are you insinuating that it's hard to love me sometimes?"

"Well…" Lara trailed off, fighting a smile at Sam's affronted face.

"Hey!" Sam slapped Lara's arm. "Do you want your gift or not? Cause I can take it back!"

"Can you even carry it?" Lara raised her eyebrow playfully.

The documentary producer gasped. "You did not."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Lara kissed her girlfriend once again. "I'll behave. Please, show me."

"Fine, you're lucky I love you!" Sam stepped away from Lara and took a step toward the painting. She grabbed the sheet and yanked it off. "Tada!"

"I… How…" The Englishwoman stared at the painting, at a loss for words.

"Like I said earlier, I was cleaning up the room and I found some boxes, a picture of your parents was in one of them." Sam pulled the picture out of her jeans pocket and gave it to Lara. "I asked Chloe, you know my friend from Uni who was always doodling on everything, well she painted it and yeah, here we are…" She scratched her neck nervously. "What do you think?"

"I… This is amazing." Lara stood in front of the painting, her fingers hovering over her mother's face. "I don't know what to say..." She tore her eyes away from the canvas to smile at Sam.

Sam smiled back, happy that her gift was on point. "Chloe said she'd like to grab a coffee with us and she offered to paint a family portrait if we ever have kids someday…"

The archaeologist blinked. "Kids?"

"Yeah, why not? A kid would be nice…" The filmmaker shrugged. "Anyway, you sure you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you." Lara turned her attention back to the painting. "I could put it in my study…"

* * *

A few weeks later, Sam was wandering around downtown London, looking for some video equipment when she received a text from Lara. Her girlfriend had decided to stay in the Manor to work but they were supposed to meet for dinner. Sam unlocked her phone and checked the message. _'I don't mind you taking pictures of me anymore, but years ago, it was another story… Meet me where everything started for us.'_

"Cryptic much, Lara!" Sam stared at the text for a moment. They weren't supposed to meet for hours and as romantic as Lara could be with her cute love letters, her texts were often straight to the point. She didn't know what her girlfriend was on but Lara really needed to stop reading her riddle and mystery books. She read the brain-teaser once again. "Where everything started…" She supposed Lara wasn't talking about "us" as a couple but as friends so it would me UCL. But why would Lara want her to go there? She was definitely intrigued. She pocketed her phone and looked around to hail a cab. Her afternoon just got ten times better.

Once she arrived, Sam tried to call Lara to know where her girlfriend was exactly but when she didn't answer, the producer started to walk around the campus. She stopped her walk in front of the spot where she had introduced herself to Lara all these years ago, a fond smile on her face. To this day, it was still one of the best decisions she had ever made. Back then, she had spotted Lara from far away, a beautiful girl with her nose buried in a book and no one to keep her company was almost a crime so she approached her.

Her reminiscence of the moment was interrupted when her eyes fell on a box of Jaffa Cakes. "What the…" Sam looked around in confusion. Lara wasn't there but what were the odds of someone else putting it right there after her girlfriend had texted her. What was going on? She reached out for the box and opened it. There was a Polaroid of Lara and her and behind it, a note. ' _I will never really know what pushed you to talk to me that day but I will forever be grateful you did. You changed my life for the better. Thank you. With Love, Lara. Ps: your next clue:_ _If my first is German, it won't agree. My second is French and is a beauty. My last is where you go when you're thirsty.'_

"Okay so definitely cryptic…" Sam mumbled. "If it won't agree, it could be no? So no is Nein." She started thinking out loud. "Beauty and French. Thank you Disney, that would be Belle…" She smiled as she realized where Lara wanted her to go. "Nine Bells Bar. Good one." She grabbed her phone and texted Lara. ' _Nine bells Bar, is it where you want me to go? What's going on?_ ' Once again, Lara didn't answer.

She sighed and looked around, making sure her girlfriend wasn't there before exiting the campus. If Lara wanted to play a little game, who was she to say no?

* * *

The place was practically empty at this time in the afternoon, so it didn't take long for Sam to realize Lara wasn't there either. Confused, she made her way to the counter and sat on a stool, hoping to see Lara's former boss. When he emerged from the back room, she smiled at him.

"Hey stranger, long time no see." The man said as a way of greeting.

"I know, things have been… complicated since Uni." Complicated was an understatement, a nightmare would be more like it, at least for the year that followed Yamatai but Sam didn't want to share that with him. Lara and her had both been called crazy by the tabloids, they didn't need another person thinking they had gone off the deep end.

"So I've heard. " He nodded, wiping the counter with his towel. "But I've known you and Lara long enough to know that's rubbish. You're good kids."

"Thank you. Speaking of Lara, have you seen her? We were supposed to meet here." Sam asked, hoping Lara was just running late.

"No, but she asked me to give you something." The bar owner set two coasters on the counter, a regular one where he put a full glass of wine on and another one with a Post-it note on it. It had a heart doodled on it. Sam smiled. She remembered it well since she drew it herself before it ended on their fridge in their shared flat. She thought Lara had thrown it away when she moved out but it warmed her heart to see Lara cared about the little things they had shared. She traced the red shape with her index, memories of all the small gestures they had done for each other flashing in her mind until she felt the corner of the note peel off. Intrigued, she pulled on it to reveal another Post-it under it. _'Congratulations, love, you made it to our second spot. When I think about my time here, I can't help but think of you, sitting at your usual table, waiting for me to finish my shift despite the late hour, just to be sure I'll come home safe. You always smiled at me when I looked your way, and I would just feel warm inside, more at peace, for a few seconds, just because you were there. This feeling hasn't changed since. Keep looking for clues, you have our next spot to find. Lara X'_ Sam chuckled before glancing at her drink. "What's in the glass?"

"It's a bottle she ordered specifically for you." The man answered, grabbing the bottle and putting it in front of Sam. "She never does things halfway this girl." He shook his head almost fondly.

Sam hummed distractedly as she read the label on the bottle. "Cabernet-Sauvignon - The Brick lane…" She had never heard of it so she decided to take a sip of it first. It wasn't the best wine ever but she guessed Lara had chosen it for the name and for how it was supposed to help her figure out this little enigma. She noticed the label wasn't completely glued so she peeled it off and saw the sketch of a front door drew behind it. Alright so it was definitely a scavenger hunt. Lara was making her go to all the places that meant something to them but why? Oh, could it be… No, she didn't want to get her hopes up. She should just enjoy this adventure and try not to get too excited about what would happen at the end of this little game.

The Post-it, the brick lane and the drawing of the front door, all the clues were pointed at their old flat. She grinned, Lara was definitely on her A-game and she couldn't wait to arrive at her next spot. She gulped the rest of her wine and thanked the owner.

"That one is on the house, of course!" Sam heard while rushing through the door.

* * *

When Sam stepped out of Nine Bells, a cab was already waiting for her. She smiled, Lara had planned everything. Despite the late hour of the afternoon, the trip didn't take long and soon, she was standing in front of their former apartment building. There were also so many memories in this flat, it was the first time she had called a place she was living in her home. She had traveled so often with her parents in the past that she had never really stayed long enough to have a sweet house to come home to. But this flat, despite not being big or fancy, was hers and she was sharing it with Lara, so it was everything.

The filmmaker walked toward the stairs and tried to open the building door but it was closed. She frowned before looking around for a key or another clue. She spotted a package addressed to her next to the staircase and went to get it. Once it was in her hands, she sat down on a step and eagerly opened it. The first thing she saw was a note.

 _'_ _Sorry, love, I wish I could get you a key so you could reminisce of the past but since there is a new tenant it was a bit complicated. I still wanted to bring you here. Why? Because this place reminded me what it was like to have a home and it was all because you were there with me, sharing my ups and downs as we made our way through Uni. Thank you for all the memories, the support and the love, you are the best thing that happened to me. I love you. Lara. Ps: Look around, your ride should be here soon to bring you back to me.'_

Sam looked up but there weren't any cars around so she went back to her package. There were some sweets she liked to eat when she was stressed or feeling down, a few Polaroids of them, her favorite wine, some trashy magazines she liked to read sometimes, candles and a lot of other little things. It was so sweet and she could tell Lara knew her well, even though she had never doubted that. What caught her attention next, was the camera at the bottom of the box. She grabbed it and switched it on but was disappointed to see there wasn't any memory card in it.

As if on cue, a car pulled over and soon, a man stepped out of the vehicle. Sam smiled when she recognized Jonah in a nice suit walking toward her.

The producer whistled. "Hello handsome, are you my Uber?"

"You could say that." Jonah chuckled. He handed his friend a rose with an SD card tied up to the ribbon. "I hope this will help you leave a nice review!"

Sam beamed at the flower, smelling it before looking at Jonah with a smirk. "It depends, is what I think is happening is happening?"

"I'm not allowed to tell." The tall man patted her shoulder before moving to open the rear door for Sam. "Please, my lady."

"I love you but you suck," Sam replied as she sat at the back of the car. As soon as Jonah was on the driver's seat, she added. "Please go as fast as you can."

"I'm pretty sure Lara wants you back to the Manor in one piece." Jonah pointed out amused.

"But I want to see her!" The producer whined, plumping down into the backrest. She knew she was acting like a petulant child but she had been waiting to see her girlfriend all afternoon and now she was dying to get back to their home.

"Then check your camera, kiddo, it should keep you busy during the ride." Jonah told her as he drove off. "And put on the outfit next to you."

Sam stuck out her tongue at her friend before grabbing the camera and putting the SD card in it. Without missing a beat, she pressed play and her heart melt at the view of Lara focusing on the camera until she was sure it was working just before she started talking.

 _'"_ _Hey, love. I knew you'd be impatient to come home so I decided to record this video, despite feeling awkward, to somehow keep you busy and share with you a few of my best memories with you, some big, some little, all the things that I hold dear to my heart. I know I don't always share all of my feelings but I hope this journey down memory lane will show you how much I care about you, how I love you, so much that I can't even find the right words to express it sometimes…" Lara smiled, almost shyly as if she wasn't sure if it was too much before clearing throat. "Anyway, here's my first memory…'"_

* * *

When Jonah stopped the car in front of the Manor, Sam was dressed and still half crying, half laughing from the video Lara had recorded. She couldn't believe Lara remembered so many little things they did together. God, she loved that woman so much and she couldn't wait to tell her that.

Jonah opened the door for her and she stepped out of the car. "So what now?" The producer asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Just go inside and figure it out." Jonah said with a wide smile.

The small woman groaned, bumping her head against his arm. "I'm freaking out, you're not helping…"

The tall man engulfed her in a hug. "Relax, you'll be fine, only good things will happen tonight."

Sam broke the embrace, nodding to herself. "Yeah, okay, yeah…" She knew he was probably right but if Lara was ready to propose like she thought, her life was about to change and it was a big moment, no matter how much she wanted it.

Jonah kissed her cheek and pushed her gently toward the entrance. "Good luck." He said, his thumbs up.

Sam waved at him before opening the front door. "Lara?" She called as she dropped her stuff on the side table in the foyer, a habit she had taken soon after moving in.

"Sam, you're home."

As the producer turned around, her eyes fell on Lara standing at the end of the staircase, dressed in a beautiful dress she had never seen before, a huge but nervous smile on her face. "You are breathtaking…"

Lara blushed. "So are you."

"I know." Sam looked at the dress she had put on in the car, it was one of her favorites and Lara knew it.

The Englishwoman chuckled as she made her way to her girlfriend, taking her hands in hers as soon as she was in front of her. "So… I'm still alive…"

Sam raised an eyebrow, amused and confused by this opening. "You are."

"And you haven't come to your senses and run away." Lara continued.

"I haven't…" Sam smiled, slowly remembering Lara's confession from a few months ago.

"So I guess it's time for me to keep my promise." Lara took a deep breath before getting down on one knee and opening a jewelry box to reveal Amelia's ring.

"Oh shit, oh God," Sam's eyes went wide at the action. "I figured this is where we were going but actually seeing you get down on your knee… Oh my God, I love you."

"Are you okay?" The English woman smiled softly, squeezing her girlfriend's hands in comfort.

Sam inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. "Yes, please just ask. I mean, go ahead, continue."

Lara chuckled. "Someone is eager!"

The older woman nodded enthusiastically. "You bet!"

"I have to admit I almost popped the question quite a few times already, at the most random moments but I thought you deserved better." Lara confessed.

"I wouldn't have minded." Sam assured her, knowing very well that no matter how Lara would have asked, she would have said yes. "But to be honest, you do grand gestures like nobody else. So please keep going, the suspense is killing me."

Lara laughed. "Alright, I had something prepared but, I'm more nervous than I had anticipated so hum…" She scratched her neck nervously before clearing her throat and locking eyes with her girlfriend. "I was just a regular student in UCL, somehow unaware of the world surrounded me until some day, you crashed into my life, changing it forever with an awful pickup line and a beautiful smile."

"Hey!" Sam pretended to be offended before smirking. "It worked, didn't it?"

"It did." Lara smiled fondly. "Meeting you was unexpected but definitely not unwelcome. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't met you. I've started to believe in a lot of things along the years and perhaps this is not farfetched to say that meeting you was fate. You have stayed with me no matter how many times I tried to push you away, in spite of my stubbornness, broodiness and despite my doubts, you stayed and you kept loving me day after day. We've been through hell and back together and there is no one else I'd rather have by my side for this adventure that is life." She stopped, taking a deep breath to reign in her emotion. "You are a light in my life, an infallible support, a force that pushes me forward. You inspire me to be a better version of myself and I want to be the same for you, I want to be your family, your home, the one that you can count on no matter what. I want to love you for the rest of my life. So please, Sam, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" She removed the ring from the box and put it close to Sam's ring finger.

"Yes," Sam practically shouted in excitement, tears gathering in her eyes. "Oh my God a million times yes, I love you."

Lara slid the ring around her new fiancée's finger and stood up. "I love you too." She said, her voice hoarse from emotion as she moved closer to kiss the love of her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N : I don't know how many of you are still reading this, since I didn't get a lot of feedback on the last chapter but writing is therapeutic so here we go…**

 **There are a few time jumps in this chapter. I know some of you would like me to take the time to write all the scenes but it would be way too long. Like I said in the summary, this fic is full of Sam and Lara's relationship milestones and I want to develop the ones that we see less in fanfics and since I wrote the engagement scene in details, I didn't want to repeat the same things for their wedding.**

 **Not Beta, all mistakes are mine.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Things had been going well for Sam and Lara for the past few months. Sam had created her production company and hired Kaz as her assistant to manage everything while she was away and Lara had found a new unrevealed legend to obsess about.

They decided to go on an expedition together, to look for some old ruins, something that could almost sound boring after Yamatai and all the adventures that had followed but it wasn't unwelcome. It was the perfect trip to get back in the game, since Sam was slowly going back into filming and producing and Lara was rediscovering archaeology in a more peaceful and academic way, with no threats to her life.

They traveled for almost a month, giving Sam enough footage to produce a documentary and enough time for Lara to satisfy her curiosity. To Sam's surprise, she was able to sale her short film to a new streaming on-demand film service. It wasn't much and she was pretty sure it was due to Lara's name and their past more than anything but it was a start.

* * *

Months later, Sam and Lara got married in a small ceremony, with their closest friends and even Sam's parents, who had reconnected after the couple's engagement and had learned to tolerate Lara for their daughter's sake.

The small room was filled with pictures of Lara's parents, of Roth and all the people that should have been there, on this special day, if tragedy hadn't struck them. Both brides teared up as they said their vows, promising to stay together, always, for better or for worse.

After the ceremony, the couple and their guests went back to the manor and enjoyed the day in the garden, laughing and sharing stories.

It was one of the happiest days of the women's lives.

* * *

The next couple of years were filled with expeditions, documentaries, conferences, and projects. With time and a lot of work, Sam and Lara had been able to steer away from their bad reputation and get recognition from peers in their respective field. They were known as the Crofts and they were proud of it.

They had also made some enemies along the way, jealous treasure hunters, secret societies or even critics who were questioning the authenticity of their work but despite the bumps, in their professional as well as their private life, Sam and Lara made it through, as always, together and more in love than ever.

* * *

One day, after Lara returned home from a tiring trip on her own, Sam found her wife gloomier than usual and asked her what was wrong as soon as they settled in the comfort of their bedroom.

The archaeologist sighed tiredly, putting on her PJs before sharing her thoughts. "When I arrived in Israel, I forgot to remove my wedding band and when I realized it, I was somehow annoyed."

"Why were you annoyed?" Sam asked as she slipped under the cover. "It happens."

"I wasn't annoyed that I forgot to put it around my necklace, I was annoyed that I had to remove it at all. It was the first time I was traveling alone since our wedding and it felt wrong not to wear it." Lara said, joining her wife in bed. "I know it's silly and a ring doesn't represent my love for you but I don't know, I wish it could be engraved on me somehow…"

Sam grinned, eyes sparkling with love. "You Lara Croft, know how to make a girl swoon."

The Englishwoman laughed. "Try to remember that in 10 years when we start driving each other crazy, I mean, more than we do now."

"I had my trip to crazy town, you know, been there, done that." The producer shrugged. "You shouldn't worry about that, we love each other too much to turn into the kind of couple that goes at each other's throat."

"Sam, I didn't…"

"I'm joking, Lara, relax," Sam reassured, scooting closer to her wife. "It's pretty much water under the bridge now."

"Good," Lara kissed Sam's forehead. "Because I don't know what I would do without you."

"Get yourself killed, probably." The filmmaker stated, half serious.

Lara chuckled. "Probably, yes…"

Silence settled as the couple cuddled together. After a while, Sam's face lit up. "Oh, I have an idea, why don't we get a tattoo? I could do a little arrow and you, a little camera or something. It can be small but somewhere you can see like on your wrist, like that you can hide it with your watch and it's not lame like the name of your spouse." She said excitedly. "And you know, if I need a new wife, I can just hunt down your Sisters of Artemis." She turned serious, pretending to be deep in thought. "What was the name of that cute blonde again? Alyson? "

The archaeologist disentangled herself and swiftly grabbed her pillow to hit Sam with it. "You're such a prat!"

The producer giggled. "Oh, don't be jealous, sweetie, you know I only have eyes for you. And it goes both ways you know, if I die, you can just find someone in my photography class or, an Instagram enthusiast."

They laughed before Lara rolled on top of Sam, smiling wickedly. "You won't get rid of me that easily Mrs. Croft."

Sam smiled back. "Good to know, Mrs. Croft."

"But it's an idea, we should think about it." Lara concluded before kissing her wife.

* * *

A few months later, Sam and Lara were finishing dinner when the atmosphere slowly changed. Sam started fidgeting as she tried to formulate what was on her mind. "Hum, we need to talk."

Lara's eyes went wide as her mind quickly went over all the bad things that could come out after that sentence. "Oh?!"

"Oh God, no, that's a terrible start," Sam rushed to say, reaching out to squeeze her wife's hand in reassurance. "I'm nervous, I'm sorry. Please, don't be scared, it's nothing bad, at least I hope it's not."

"Okay…" Lara answered, unsure. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, we'll figure it out together." She added, trying to be supportive.

"I…" The filmmaker took a deep breath before blurting out. "I want to talk about kids."

The Englishwoman blinked. "Kids?" She repeated slowly.

"Or kid, just one. I know we mentioned this a few times in the past, keeping things open," Sam continued. "But I'd really like to talk about having a child seriously."

The archaeologist looked around, clearly hesitant. "Now?"

"Yes, now. Trinity is history, we've been married for more than two years now and I think it's the right time to ask ourselves if we want to expand our family at some point or not. So…" Sam trailed off a bit. "What's your thought on the subject?"

"I… hum, we… uh…" Lara opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if she couldn't formulate an answer. She hadn't expected the topic to be brought up, even though they had mentioned it in passing. She never really thought she would live long enough to find love and happiness and now that she did, she hadn't taken the time to stop and plan a future further than her current life with her wife.

"Very interesting, what else?" The producer joked, trying to lighten the mood when she noticed Lara turning paler.

"I… I just don't think it's the right time." Lara finally replied, standing up and grabbing their plates to put them in the sink in a desperate need to keep herself busy. They had worked on their communication, she was better at sharing her feelings but this particular topic made her feel uneasy, as if she was torn between what she wanted and what was the safest for them.

"When is the right time though?" Sam prodded gently. "I'm not saying let's have a baby now, I just want to know if it's in the pipes for the future."

Lara sighed, turning around and leaning against the sink to look at her wife. "I don't know, Sam. I have a lot of things to take care of on top of you, I can't add another person into the mix."

Sam crossed her arms and scowled, clearly unhappy with the answer. "I'm not asking you to take care of me, I'm a big girl thank you very much. But you have to admit, now that Trinity is gone, it's a lot safer."

"I'm sorry, it came out wrong." Lara bit her bottom lip, trying to find the right words. "It's just, other people could come after us, and some already did. You are my wife, of course I will protect you but…"

"Just like I'd protect you." Sam cut her off. "But after all this time, I thought we were done with you trying to coddle me. We're wives, we're equals. So be honest with me if you don't want a child, which, don't get me wrong, is your right, I can understand that, it's not for everyone, but please don't give me lame excuses."

Lara sighed once again, running her hand through her ponytail. "In a perfect world, I would love to have a child with you, a symbol of our love, another generation of Croft but…"

"But what?" The producer stood up and walked in front of her wife.

"Sam please, you know the life we live, we can't..." The archaeologist retorted, painfully aware of the risks the people in her life had to face because of her sometimes.

"Your parents had the same life and they still had you." Sam pointed out.

The Englishwoman shook her head. "It's different."

"How?"

"Look where it got them, they're dead!" Lara exclaimed in a heated way. "I had to grow up without my parents and I don't want to do that to a child."

"I know." Sam softened, knowing full well how much Lara suffered from her parents' absence in her childhood despite never really saying it out loud. "And I grew up with both of my parents and I still felt alone for most of my life until I met you. We're not our parents, we have our own choices to make. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, raising a child isn't anyway, but I don't want our life to be just about our jobs. I'd like to see a bit of you in a child, I…" She grabbed Lara's hands in hers. "I want to fill this house with love and laughter, not that it's not already the case but… I'd like to leave my mark in this world, and I don't want it to be just a few documentaries... I don't know, I have so much love to give..."

"Then give it to me." Lara answered, almost childishly.

Sam frowned. "Aren't I already?"

"Yes, of course but…" The archaeologist pursed her lips. "I don't know, isn't that enough?"

"You know it's not the same." The filmmaker replied gently. "I understand your point of view, really, but you can't stop living because you're scared of what could happen."

"It's… I…" Lara growled, frustrated with herself and her inability to share her fears.

"Tell me what's on your mind, what's really bothering you?" Sam asked as she dragged Lara back on the kitchen chair, pushing her gently to sit before settling on her lap.

Lara hugged Sam tightly, burying her face into the crook of her wife's neck. She was so grateful for Sam's patience and ability to read her so well. "I almost lost my mind… Years ago, when I thought I had lost you forever because of Himiko, because of my bad choices and my fears. I don't want to turn into my dad." She confessed into a whisper. "I'm scared that if we bring another life into this world, another person that I love as much as you, that losing them would make me go crazy for good, just like losing you would."

"Lara," Sam pulled away, just enough to force her wife to make eye contact. "You have to promise me something. If we ever have a kid and something happens to me, I need you to keep going, for our child's sake. Break the circle, don't make them suffer when you know what it feels like to be neglected because of someone's obsession."

"I can't even fathom a life without you, how could I…"

"Promise me, Lara."

Lara stared at Sam for a long minute before sighing heavily. "Fine! I'll beat to a pulp whoever is responsible and then, I'll come back to our hypothetical kid, yes."

Sam's jaw fell open in shock. "Come on!"

The Englishwoman shook her head stubbornly. "That's the best you'll get from me."

The producer rolled her eyes. "Fine… Butthead!"

Lara smiled charmingly. "Isn't it why you love me?"

"Mmhh mmhh, whatever rocks your boat, babe." Sam kissed Lara's nose.

The archeologist chuckled before turning serious again. "If I promise to move forward, you have to do the same. Kids or not, if one day I don't come back from an expedition, please don't look into it, even if it's suspicious. Just move on, be happy for the both of us."

"You don't think my wrath could rival Himiko's?" Sam raised an eyebrow. She knew that she would never have Lara's amazing skills but, if someone ever tried to hurt her wife, it wouldn't end well for all the parties involved because she sure as hell wouldn't get down without a fight.

"I do, that's why I want you to promise me to let go." Lara insisted. "Don't risk your life for something that you cannot change. I don't want you to stop smiling that beautiful smile of yours because of me. And maybe later on, you could find someone new who…"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." Just like Lara, Sam didn't want to imagine a life without her wife and even less falling in love with someone else. "I can promise you not to go all Kill Bill and get myself killed but don't talk to me about loving someone else, okay?"

"Sam…"

"No! No… and it wasn't even the topic of this conversation." The filmmaker reminded her, wanting to stay away from that particularly upsetting subject, as if losing the love of her life wasn't already a constant fear of hers. "So let's refocus. Like I said, it is your right not to want a child and I don't want you to compromise something that important for me, or because of society, but whatever you want, I need to know where we stand. Just think about it, okay?"

Lara nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you." Sam kissed Lara's cheek before standing up. "I have to call Kaz for work, I'll see you in a bit."

Lara watched her wife leave the room with a heavy heart. She liked kids well enough, she had even met some during her expeditions that made her wonder what it would be like to be a mother, but she knew that death and suffering were close friends of hers and having a child wouldn't come without a price, one she might not be ready to pay.

* * *

Deep into the sea, Lara was drowning, and she couldn't help but think that she was starting to make a habit out of it. But unlike the previous times, no one was there to help her. Her wife was filming a documentary in England and Jonah was on their boat with no way of contacting her after she had lost her radio in an explosion.

Her lungs were burning and her brain was screaming for air. No matter where she was looking, she could only see water and no exit. She was far from the surface and the relic on her back, on top of her wounds, was making it hard to swim. She had no material, no contingency plan, and no escape. Although it wasn't the first time, it definitely looked like it would the last. Her mind was getting fuzzy and strength was slowly leaving her.

Lara had always known she wouldn't die of old age, but she thought she would have more time, more time with Sam, with her friends, more time to build a future… She could hear some faint clicking and whistling noises but she couldn't focus. Sam… It was her last thought before everything went dark.

The next thing Lara remembered was waking up on her boat, spitting water and gapping out for air.

"Easy, Lara." A familiar voice told her.

The archaeologist coughed, recognizing Jonah as she tried to catch her breath. "What happened?"

"You almost drown. If it wasn't for your friends over there, you'll be at the bottom of the sea right now." Jonah informed her, his voice still full of worry.

Lara followed her friend's line of sight and saw a small group of dolphins. "Oh, so that explains the clicking noises." She stood up, not without difficulty and leaned over the back of the boat to touch one of them. "Thank you, mate." She smiled tiredly. "Sam would have loved this, you should record it."

"I'm not sure she would be happy about the part where you almost died, though." Jonah pointed out before getting his phone out to record Lara petting the dolphins.

"Then don't say anything to her, I don't want to worry her more than she already does." When Jonah didn't answer, the Englishwoman turned around and saw the disapproving look on his face. She sighed. "Don't worry, I will tell her but…"

"You're getting more and more reckless, Lara, this is a dangerous path you're taking. One I thought you were done with." The tall man warned, clearly still shaken after seeing Lara's lifeless body emerge from the water. "You got lucky, once again, but one day your chance might turn. You need to more careful, I don't want to bring you back to your wife in a body bag."

"I know, I made a mistake. I will try to be more careful, I promise." Lara knew that brotherly act so well by now and she also knew Jonah wasn't trying to be condescending, he was just looking out for her and for Sam no matter if they didn't always like what he had to say. She loved to push the limits, the thrill she got out of a dangerous situation, but she also realized that now, she had things to lose. For once, her near-death experience might force her to rethink a few things in her life.

* * *

Lara was back in London, more excited and nervous than usual to be home. She put her bag on the floor and called for her wife. "Sam?" She heard a door slam then hurried footsteps, before finally seeing Sam rushing down the stairs.

"Lara!" Sam leaped into her wife's arms as soon as she reached her.

"Hey!" Lara hugged Sam as tight as she could without hurting her. "I missed you."

"And I missed you." Sam pulled away after a moment. "Are you okay?" She scanned her wife's body for injuries.

"I'm okay." The archaeologist answered.

"Are you sure?" The producer didn't seem convinced.

"Hum…" Lara cursed herself for being so out of it. She knew Sam could read her like an open book but she thought she would at least have a bit more time before sharing her thoughts.

Sam frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I need to tell you something…" Lara bit her bottom lip nervously.

Sam's frown deepened. "You're being weird, it's freaking me out. Is it bad?"

"It's not a bad thing, I promise." The Englishwoman reassured. "But I need to tell you now before I lose my nerve."

"Okay…" The filmmaker replied, unsure.

"I…" Lara stopped herself, looking around the room. They were standing in front of the stairs and she didn't feel like making her big announcement there. "Let's have a seat." She grabbed Sam's hand and led her to the couch in the foyer. Once they were seated, she continued. "I almost died during my expedition…"

"What? What happened? Why did you say you were alright?" Sam questioned frantically.

"Because I am now." The archaeologist said calmly. She saw Sam open her mouth, clearly ready to argue, so she held her hand to stop her. "Before you start lecturing me for being stupid and taking unnecessary risks, I want you to listen to what I have to say."

"Okay, but you better tell me what happened after." Sam insisted, already picturing the worst scenario.

Lara smiled, knowing full well her wife would want all the details as soon as possible. "Yes, I will."

"So…" The producer trailed off, waiting impatiently for her wife to say what she had to say.

"Like I said, I almost died and..." Lara took a deep breath. "For the first time in a long time, I didn't see the ghosts of my past, my parents, Roth but just you. I saw you and the life we could have had and I didn't want to die. I wanted to live and spend more time with you."

"Good." Sam nodded, trying to gauge her wife's reaction. "I mean, it's good, right?"

"It is." The Englishwoman squeezed Sam's hand in reassurance. "And when I was on the boat, safe and sound, I realized that, although I want to leave my mark in this world, I don't want my legacy to be just about archeology. I want to be remembered for making people's lives better and I want the Croft name to keep on living, not only in books but with a true descendant."

"Okay…" Sam slowly smiled, almost not daring to hope. "Just to be clear, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I want to have a child with you." Lara smiled back fondly. "I'm still scared to death of what could happen but with you by my side, I believe we can do it."

Sam squealed in joy, tackling her wife on the couch and peppering her with kisses. "Oh my God, oh my God, I love you."

Lara laughed freely at her lover's joy. "I love you too."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : So I wanted to post this new chapter before the release of the game, just to be safe... If you read my other author notes, you know my opinion on Shadow...**

 **Let me know what you think, reviews always improve my day.**

* * *

 _A few months later_

Lara and Sam were having a late dinner, talking about their day, when the bell rang. They heard Winston make his way to the front door and greet people.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Are we expecting someone?"

Lara shook her head. "No, not at this hour."

Winston soon joined them in the kitchen. "Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura are waiting for you in the foyer."

"You're kidding me?" The producer looked at the butler with wide eyes.

"I'm afraid not, Lady Sam." Winston replied apologetically.

"What are they doing here?" The archaeologist murmured half in shock.

Sam shrugged. "Don't ask me."

"Should I bring them tea?" The butler inquired, unsure how to proceed with their new guests.

"Yes." "No." Lara and Sam said respectively.

Lara looked at her wife pointedly. "Sam, we have manners."

The filmmaker waved her hand childishly. "You maybe."

The Englishwoman chuckled at Sam's antics. "Sam…"

"Fine," Sam rolled her eyes, standing up from the kitchen stool. "But if my mom starts bitching, I'll let you handle it while I call them a cab." She finished before heading toward the foyer.

"What?" Lara rushed after her wife. "Why? They're your parents!"

"And I'm your wife, which by extension make them a part of your family too." Sam reminded her with a sweet smile.

Lara stopped walking abruptly. "Oh, God…" She groaned, burying her head in her hands.

Sam giggled and took a step closer to her wife. "I know, sweetie, but we said for better and for worse." She grabbed Lara's hand and dragged her down the hallway. As soon as she saw her parents, her hold on Lara's hand tightened. "Mom, dad, what are you doing here?"

"Samantha, if I didn't know better I would think you're not happy to see us." Sam's mother said bitterly.

"Of course I am." The producer forced a smile, letting go of her wife's hand to give her parents a quick hug.

Lara nodded in hello. "Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura."

"Miss Croft." Antonia greeted back.

Sam frowned in annoyance. "It's Mrs., you should know by now, you were at our wedding."

"Yes, I was…" Antonia trailed off.

"Typical..." The filmmaker shook her head in disbelief. She might be on speaking terms with her parents but it was far from being easy. She had made good progress with her father, calling him once a month but she still hadn't forgiven her mother for almost disowning her. She noticed Lara subtly move closer to her and smiled to herself.

"Excuse your mother, we had a long trip." Hisao said, sensing the tension.

Sam turned toward her dad. "What are you doing here? And why didn't you call first?"

"Can't we visit our own daughter?" Antonia asked almost offended.

"I guess you can," The producer crossed her arms as if bracing herself for a potential fight. "But a little heads up would have been nice."

"Can I offer you some tea, Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura?" Winston offered as he set the tray on the coffee table and motioned for them to sit on the couch.

"Thank you, but we are quite tired." Antonia smiled politely at him. "Could you, please, show us our room?"

Sam made a choking noise. "Because you're staying?"

"If that's alright with you." Hisao tilted his head to the side, waiting for an answer.

"Well, now that you're here…" Sam looked at her wife and when Lara wordlessly nodded in approval, she called the butler's attention. "Winston, would you mind showing them the guest room? The one at the far end of the East wing, please."

"Of course, Lady Sam." Winston bowed his head.

The filmmaker thanked him before wishing her parents a good night. "We'll talk more tomorrow." Her parents nodded before leaving the room. Once she was sure they couldn't hear them, Sam said to her wife. "See, told you tea wasn't necessary."

Lara reached for Sam and wrapped her into a tight embrace. "Are you okay?"

"As long as you're here…" Sam mumbled into the crook of her neck.

"Always."

* * *

Later, as the couple settled in bed, Lara listened to Sam complain about her parents. Once her wife was done, she voiced her own annoyance. "I don't get why your mother keeps calling me Miss."

"I think she's still mad I took your last name." Sam shuffled closer on the bed so she could talk face to face with Lara. She gently started drawing patterns on her wife's arm.

Lara frowned. "I never asked you to, I told you it was your choice."

"And I know that. It was my decision, and I told her many times that it was a statement. She threw so many threats when I chose to get together with you, I don't see why I would have kept my name if my family refuses to accept my choices." Sam sighed tiredly, trying to push away the bad memories. "Besides, I wanted to set my mark and prove my worth, not because I was the daughter of a media mogul, but because I have talent on my own."

The Englishwoman raised an eyebrow. "So you chose my name out of pettiness?"

The producer swapped her wife's arm. "No silly, I chose it because I love you and I want to help you make the name Croft shine bright again."

"I'm honored." Lara's eyes sparkled with love and admiration. "But I have to admit, I fought monsters less scary than your mother."

"Oh, poor baby." Sam cooed, kissing her wife's nose. "Don't worry, she'll come around eventually. And you know, I'm a Countess now, it's way more chic." She grinned proudly.

"Sure is." Lara snorted. After a pause, she added. "Your father is easier."

Sam hummed in agreement. "He's a shark in business but a bit of a puppy at home. I'm pretty sure he likes you but he doesn't want to show it too much and suffer my mother's wrath."

They cuddled for a moment in comfortable silence until Lara spook again. "So why are they here anyway?"

"I guess they miss me and a monthly call to check up on me is not enough anymore." The filmmaker shrugged. "They're probably just trying to fix things."

"They have a weird way of showing it." Lara declared. "Coming to their daughter's house and insulting their spouse isn't the best way to go at it." Her eyes went wide as a thought popped into her head. "Oh my god, are they going to be like this all weekend?"

Sam made a face. "Probably..."

"Urgh," Lara groaned, burying most of her face in her pillow. "Is it too late for a last minute dig? Or maybe we could stay with Jonah and Kaz?"

"Nope," The producer chuckled, realizing her brave and badass wife was afraid to face her in-laws. "You're stuck here with me Croft."

"I still don't get why now, though." The archaeologist insisted, trying to understand why Sam's parents would decide to give them a friendly visit when the relationship between them was still rocky at best.

"Uhh…" Sam's eyes darted everywhere but at Lara's face.

Lara looked at her wife suspiciously, she knew that guilty look well. "Sam?"

Sam pulled away and sat up on the bed. "I think I know why but don't panic, okay?"

"It's the last thing you should tell me if you don't want me to start panicking." Lara mimicked her wife's position.

The smaller woman smiled sweetly. "Please?"

"What did you do?" Lara slightly glared at her.

"Fine," Sam rolled her eyes. "I might have let it slipped that we were thinking about having a child, maybe…" She said sheepishly.

"Sam! This is none of their business!"

"I know, but it just slipped out, okay?!" Sam rushed to explain. "My dad was talking about my cousin, and how she's so successful and has such a cute family and how she was pregnant for the second time. I could feel the anger rising because I have a family too. My wife is a hot and successful archaeologist and I have my own kick-ass production company. We even got rid of our public image of crazy women so I told him all that and then I added, we were talking about having a child too… So I guess he told my mom and here we are…"

"So let me get this straight," Lara ran her fingers through her hair. "They came all the way here to mend things with us so they can be in the life of our hypothetical child?"

"It's not hypothetical," The filmmaker stated. "We are seriously doing this and we've even started looking for information on the subject. I really want a mini you running around the manor."

Lara chuckled. "You know I feel the same, although I'd rather a mini you."

Sam winked. "Charmer!"

The Englishwoman shook her head fondly before turning serious again. "Thanks to the advancement of science, we can have a child that is part you and part me but it's a long procedure, the last thing we need is your mother breathing down our neck while you're trying to get pregnant, no offense."

"None taken. We'll both get grilled about it this weekend but…" Sam sighed. "I've been thinking about this since I told my dad and I want our kid to have grandparents. You know, even if we don't get along that much, they look like they want to be a part of the journey or they wouldn't be here. So, maybe they could have a second chance, if not for us, for our future baby."

"I suppose you're right." Lara said after a while. "I'll make an effort but if she calls me Miss one more time, I can't promise you anything." She warned. "You are my wife, not my roommate anymore."

"Damn right, you liked it and put a ring on it." Sam wiggled her left hand smugly.

"Sam!" Lara breathed out a laugh. "I'm serious!"

"I know, sweetie, I just love it when you get all possessive like that." Sam cleared her throat and imitated Lara's accent. "She's my wife, mate." She swiftly avoided the pillow Lara threw at her and giggled. "What? It's hot!"

Lara pulled Sam closer and pinned her on the bed, lying on top of her. "Really?" She smiled wickedly at her wife, darting at her lips.

Sam smirked, her pupils turning dark. "Mhh Mhh…" She lifted her head and captured her wife's lips hungrily.

"SAMANTHA!" They heard Antonia called.

"Oh my god, is she for real? It's late…" Sam growled, pulling away. "Unbelievable, she just arrived and she's already cock-blocking me in my own house!"

"Who said I was about to give it to you?" Lara raised an eyebrow, amused.

The older woman scoffed. "Please, have you seen this booty?"

"So humble of you." Lara jested. "You know if we have a child, you should get used to interruptions."

"Shit, I take it back," Sam joked. "I'm not sure I want a kid anymore."

"Samantha!" Antonia shouted again.

"I'm coming!" Sam yelled back.

Lara snorted. "No, you're not…"

"Urgh, don't be cheeky, not the time." Sam whined pathetically.

Lara chuckled. "Sorry." She kissed her wife before moving to the side of the bed. "Let's hope they'll leave on Monday."

"We can agree on that."

* * *

Sam's parents stayed longer than the couple first expected. It was clear they were trying to make up for lost time with their daughter although Sam was still on the fence. At least, they were kinder to Lara.

In a desperate attempt to get away from Sam's parents for a few hours, the couple had agreed to go on a last minute conference in London and were now making their way back home.

Once they got out of the car and reached the manor, Sam pushed Lara against the front door and kissed her senseless. "I know you're not comfortable having sex with my parents in the house, even though they're literally in another wing but I need to make love to my wife like, yesterday," She kissed her again. "They're running errands so we should have an hour before they're back, please take me to our room."

Every objection Lara could have disappeared when her wife started biting that special spot on her neck. "Okay…"

Quickly, they found themselves stumbling inside the manor, hands roaming over each other's body. As Lara pushed Sam against the side table in the foyer, they heard someone clear their throat. They broke apart and saw Sam's parents sitting on the couch, sipping tea.

Lara hastily put Sam back on the floor and stepped away, wide-eyed. "I… this is not what it looks like…"

Sam looked at her before bursting out laughing. "As if…"

"Sam!" Lara glared at her.

"What?" Sam said, trying to calm down. "We're not 16, we're married and this is our house, I think they know that this is exactly what it looks like."

Lara turned bright red. "You're really not helping." She whispered-yelled.

"I assure you, this is awkward for all the parties involved." Hisao finally spoke.

Antonia cleared her throat. "Sam, could we talk?"

Lara glanced at Sam to see if her wife wanted her around but the woman shook her head. "I'll be in my study." She said, more than happy to make a quick exit after what happened.

"No, you too Mi…" Antonia stopped herself when she saw her daughter's glare. "Mrs. Croft."

Sam kept glaring. "She has a name you know."

"It's alright," Lara took Sam's hand and led her to the couch opposite the one her in-laws were sitting on. "What did you want to talk about?"

"We know our visit was… a bit of her surprise." Antonia started.

"Understatement of the year." Sam muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"Samantha, please." Her mother chastised.

"Fine, go ahead." The producer waved for her to continue.

"Thank you. We have to go back to Japan but we wanted to talk to you both before we go." Antonia stopped as if looking for the right words. "After spending a few days here, we can see that you two make a, well…"

"A beautiful family." Her husband offered for her.

Sam smiled gratefully at her dad but turned to her mother with a scowl. "Is it so hard for you to say it?"

Antonia sighed. "I'm trying."

"Then try harder. The filmmaker snapped.

"We just want a second chance." Sam's mother said almost pleadingly.

"And I think it's up to me, to us, to decide if you deserve it or not. You've criticized my choices my whole life. You've been awful to Lara since we got together and you want a second chance?" Sam's voice raised. "Why? Because you've dodged that question all weekend. Am I not a disappointment anymore? Are you here for me or just because I could give you grandchildren?" Her hands were shaking with anger and sadness. She knew a part of her still wanted her parents' love, but they would have to work for it. She refused to go through that type of heartache again.

Antonia opened then close her mouth a few times. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it does." Sam sniffled. "I refuse to act as if we are a perfect family anymore because we never were in the first place. I'm a grown-up, I'm married and I have an awesome job that I'm great at. If you can't support me then I don't want you in my life and certainly not in our child's if you're just gonna disappear as soon as you disagree with our parenting style."

Lara moved closer and put a comforting arm around Sam's shoulder. "Say the word and they're out." She whispered, letting her wife know that she didn't have to do this if she didn't want to. Sam shook her head but smiled at her gratefully.

"We made mistakes in the past but we are trying to make amends." Hisao jumped in.

"Lara hurt you and yet you forgave her, why would it be different for us?" Antonia argued. "We are your parents."

"Oh no, you better not go there." The producer growled warningly. "Being my parents doesn't give you the right to control me."

"If I may," Lara finally decided to speak up. "I know that I hurt your daughter in that past too."

"Lara, you don't have to justify y…"

"No, let me." The Englishwoman interrupted her wife gently. "There isn't a day that passes when I don't try to make it up to her. Your daughter is beautiful, smart, funny and loving… She is an amazing woman and I hope one day you'll see that. I feel the luckiest woman in the world to have her in my life and I promise you I will always love her and take care of her. But Sam makes her own choices, I've learned that a long time ago. She chose to be a part of my life and you have to respect that if you want to be a part of her life and our child's future."

Hisao nodded. "We understand. We'll give you some time to think about it."

"We will." Sam assured him as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"But…" Antonia started, ready to plead her case.

"Antonia please," Hisao stood up and motioned for his wife to do the same. "We asked for their forgiveness, now it's up to them to give it to us or not."

Sam's mother sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. "Alright." She stood next to her husband.

"We should get going, we have a plane to catch." Hisao walked toward Lara and extended his hand. "Take good care of my daughter, Lara."

The archaeologist shook his hand with a small smile. "I will, sir."

Antonia stepped in front of Sam, opening her arms for a goodbye hug. Sam rolled her eyes but quickly sighed when she noticed the pain in her mother's eyes, the first crack in her jaded mask in all weekend. She gave her a quick hug.

"I know I don't show it but I am proud of you." Antonia murmured in her daughter's ear. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am, I just need you to see that." Sam answered, pulling away. Antonia then turned toward Lara, ready to shake her hand when Sam pushed her closer to her wife. "You can hug her too, she's not contagious."

"No I don't think, it's necessary, we can…" Lara quickly argued.

Antonia hugged her awkwardly, long enough to whisper "I'll keep an eye on you until I'm sure my daughter is safe with you." and for Lara to reply. "Likewise."

* * *

 _A few seasons later_

Sam and Lara were staring at a pregnancy test, nervously waiting for the news that would change their life.

Finally, the answer appeared. "It's positive." Sam whispered, tears of joy filling her eyes.

"It's positive?" Lara asked, wide-eyed, wanting to be sure.

"It's positive, I'm pregnant." Sam squealed in excitement. "We're gonna have a baby!"

Lara carefully twirled her wife around in a circle while she held her in her arms. "Oh my god, we're gonna be parents."

They kept hugging each other for a while, crying and laughing in joy.

* * *

The couple waited almost 3 months, to be safe, before inviting their friends to dinner and give them the news.

When it was time for dessert, Sam cleared her throat. "So, we have some news to share!"

"Oh my god," Kaz faked the surprise. "You two are finally together."

"Ah ah, very funny." Sam deadpanned.

"I had to do it," The blonde chuckled. "You two were just too oblivious in the past for us not to tease you about it now."

Sam stuck her tongue out at her friend. "We're married now, that's all that matters."

"Sam is expecting, we're gonna have a child." Lara blurted out to her surprise. She had stopped her wife from sharing the news a few times, wanting to be sure everything was going well but she needed to talk about it with her friends now.

"Hey," Sam pouted. "We said we'll say it together."

"Sorry." Lara smiled sheepishly. She would have never thought she could be so nervously excited about having a child. "I couldn't hold it anymore."

"I'm gonna be an uncle!" Jonah exclaimed full of joy before standing up and hugging his best friends tightly. "I'm so happy for you, lovebirds."

"Can I be the gay aunt if the kid's parents are two women? Maybe I can be the cool vodka aunt?" Kaz wondered after hugging the couple.

"No alcohol!" Lara quickly answered.

"Look who's already all protective, chill mama bear, I'm kidding! Mostly…" Kaz said, amused, as everyone laughed.

* * *

Later in the evening, they all settled in the greenhouse for tea. Lara was lovingly staring at her wife from her spot on the couch while Sam and Kaz were sitting at the table, animatedly talking about a possible baby shower. After a while, Jonah joined her.

"You're gonna be a great mom." He declared as he sat next to her.

"I don't know about that, Sam for sure but…" Lara trailed off.

"What's on your mind, little bird?" Jonah asked gently.

"I…" The Englishwoman sighed before confessing. "I'm still terrified of messing things up or putting Sam and our child in danger. I know I could never forgive myself if anything happens to them."

"Kaz and I will be there for you two and for the kid." The tall man promised. "You are not alone and you both deserve to be happy, don't let your fears take over."

Lara nodded. "I know you're right but it's not always easy."

Jonah patted her shoulder. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, more than I thought possible." Lara answered without hesitation. "Although, it's a bit bittersweet to know I can't share the news with my parents, or Roth…"

"I'm sure they would have been proud of you, just like your kid will be proud of their moms." Jonah smiled before kissing her forehead.

"Is it weird to love them already?" The archaeologist wondered. "It's such a weird and new feeling."

"It's not." Jonah chuckled. "Don't worry too much, Lara, everything is going to be alright."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/** N : **I know it's been a while and I'm currently working on my crossover story with Kassandra, but I really miss Sam and Lara (must be the Holiday season). I thought I would try to work on my draft and luckily, I was able to finish a new chapter ...**

 **Reviews make my day =)**

* * *

Chapter 6

Sam and Lara were in the waiting room of their obstetrician, excited about the ultrasound that would finally reveal the sex of their baby.

While Sam was flipping through the pages of a magazine, cooing at babies' cute outfits and making mental notes of what she should buy later, Lara was lost in her thoughts, nervously shaking her foot.

After a while, the producer closed the magazine and gently put her hand on her wife's thigh to make her stop. "You need to relax, you're stressing me out."

"I'm sorry." Lara smiled sheepishly, resting her hand on top of Sam's. "I just want to know if you and the baby are good and healthy."

"Oh, you're sweet." Sam leaned to the side and kissed Lara's cheek. "I'm sure it will be alright."

"Aren't you nervous?" The archaeologist questioned, fighting the need to move her leg again. "I mean, we're going to know the sex of the baby any minute now."

"I am. I ate a whole box of Jaffa Cakes before we left to calm my nerves but…"

"That was you?" Lara interrupted. She wanted to treat herself this morning with a nice cuppa and some Jaffa Cakes but all she could find was an empty box. She thought Kaz had grabbed a few when she visited but it seemed someone else was the culprit. "It was the last one!"

"I eat for two, you need to share, sweetie." Sam patted her wife's hand with a cheeky smile.

"Right." Lara's voice dragged on the word. "And what was your excuse when you weren't pregnant?"

"Hey!" The filmmaker slapped her wife's shoulder with the magazine she had in her right hand before giggling.

Lara chuckled, kissing Sam's hand. "We'll buy some on our way home."

Soon after, a woman approached the couple. "Mrs. and Mrs. Croft, hello." Dr. Porter greeted them. "Please follow me." Sam and Lara entered her office and sat on the chairs in front of the desk.

"So first of all, how are you feeling, Samantha?" The doctor asked with a kind smile.

Sam smiled back. She had insisted for her doctor to call them by their name to avoid the Mrs. and Mrs. part. "I feel good, the morning sickness is almost gone so I'm pretty happy about that."

"It's good." Dr. Porter nodded before opening the file in front of her. "Your blood tests came back yesterday. Everything is okay on that side so if you don't have any questions, you can go and lie down on the examination table."

Once Sam was settled on the exam table, the doctor gently pulled up her shirt and apply some gel on her belly.

Sam took a deep breath and reached out for Lara's hand.

"Are you alright?" Dr. Porter asked.

"Just nervous."

"The both of us are," Lara added, squeezing her wife's hand to show her support.

The doctor smiled at them. "Don't worry mommies, I won't make you wait any longer." She turned the ultrasound machine on and slid the transducer on her patient's belly until she found what she wanted. "Here, they are! The head, body, 2 arms, 2 legs, everything looks fine." She moved the device a bit higher as both women looked at the screen with rapt attention. "The baby's heart is beating at a normal rate." She paused before looking at the couple. "Do you want to know the sex of the baby?"

"Yes!" Sam and Lara exclaimed simultaneously.

Dr. Porter laughed. "Okay, let's see…" She adjusted the monitor before stating. "Congratulation ladies, it's a girl."

"Oh my god!" Sam touched the screen in awe, tears of joy slowly falling down her face.

"It's amazing…" Lara breathed out, tearing up just like her wife.

Sam turned her attention to Lara, laughing in glee. "We're gonna have a daughter!"

"Yes." Lara kissed her wife's hand several times, laughing through the tears with her. "We're gonna have a daughter."

* * *

The master bedroom was a mess, clothes lying all over the floor and the bed while Sam was standing in front of the mirror in her underwear, staring at her reflection.

The filmmaker gently rubbed her belly. It wasn't just a baby bump anymore, she was almost 6 months pregnant and she felt huge. Her feet hurt, just like her back and although she didn't mind her breast growing up a cup, it would be better if it didn't hurt as much.

She sighed in frustration, grabbing another t-shirt that she already knew wouldn't fit. None of her clothes fitted anymore and she bought new ones barely a month ago. As soon as she put on the shirt and saw it stopped at her belly button, she felt tears bubbling up in her eyes. It was useless. She tried to pull it over her head, but it got stuck around her chin. She growled before yanking it again. "Come on!" She exclaimed.

"Sam? Are you okay?" As if on cue, Lara stepped inside the room.

"No!" The producer answered, finally able to get free from her t-shirt from hell.

Lara rushed at her wife's side. "What's wrong, are you hurt? Is the baby okay?"

"The baby is fine." Sam waved Lara's concern away before sighing. "Not so sure about me..."

The archaeologist scanned her wife's body to make sure she was fine before noticing the state of their room. "What happened here?"

"I'm fat, that's what happened. I can't fit into anything." The filmmaker gestured toward the clothes with a pout.

Lara chuckled at the petulant look on Sam's face but quickly stopped when her lover glared at her with teary eyes. "Oh love, you're not fat, there's a life growing inside you. It's perfectly normal to take a few pants sizes." She moved closer and pulled Sam gently into a hug. "You're beautiful and I love you."

"We're married, you are contractually obligated to tell me those things." Sam mumbled into Lara's neck.

"I am not." Lara laughed freely this time. "I promise, you are gorgeous."

The producer sniffled. "Then why don't I feel like it?"

"It's the hormones." The Englishwoman pulled away enough to cup her wife's face, wiping her tears away with her thumbs before smiling gently. "You just need new clothes, it's something that can easily be fixed. Let's go shopping and find you something that fits, okay?"

Sam nodded and kissed Lara's wrist, just next to her small camera tattoo. "Okay." She puffed some air before stepping away and walking toward the door.

"Darling?" Lara stopped Sam with a fond smile on her face.

Sam turned around. "Yes?"

"You still need to get dressed before we leave." Lara told her, trying not to laugh.

The filmmaker looked down at herself and realized she was still in her underwear. "Oh, right..."

"Just take one of my shirts." Lara walked toward the closet and grabbed a black t-shirt and some old sweatpants. She helped Sam put on the shirt but when she kneeled down to help her with the pants, her wife took a step back. She looked up in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Sweatpants, Lara?" Sam asked, affronted. "Really?"

The archaeologist frowned. "What? It's comfortable."

"It's a fashion faux-pas!" Sam cried. "I've always sworn to myself that I'd be caught dead wearing that outside."

"But it's…" Lara pursed her lips, stopping herself from saying it was the only thing that fitted because she didn't want Sam to start crying again. "You need pants to go out." She said instead, her voice soft.

"I know that!" The producer's voice broke, tears ready to make an appearance again.

"Okay, calm down," Lara rubbed her wife's thigh reassuringly. "It's just for a couple of hours until we find you something else. I swear, I won't tell anyone we know."

A smile grew slowly on Sam's face. "You promise?" She tentatively stepped into the sweatpants.

Lara smiled back as she pulled the sweatpants up. "Cross my heart." She kissed Sam's belly tenderly.

The older woman beamed at the sweet gesture. Lara tended to kiss her belly and talk to the baby a lot more lately, especially when she thought she was still asleep. More than once, Sam had woken up to the soft voice of Lara counting stories about them, their family and friends to the baby. It was one of her favorite memories from her pregnancy, something that just the two of them, or well, three, were sharing. "Thank you."

The Englishwoman stood up and tied the pants low on Sam's hips. "Well, to be fair, I've never been one to share our life with every Tom, Dick, and Harry."

"No, I mean, for everything." Sam grabbed her wife's hands in hers. "For helping me, comforting me and putting up with my moods."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Lara kissed Sam's lips softly. She knew her wife had done the same every time she had been injured, so she was more than willing to return the favor. "Do you need help with your shoes?"

"Thank you but I'm pregnant, not handicapped. Although, I might reconsider your offer during my third trimester." Sam walked over a pair of flip-flops and slipping on them. She turned to look at her wife proudly but frowned when she noticed Lara's raised eyebrow. "What? We're in spring!"

"So you can wear flip flops but not sweatpants?" Lara asked, amused.

"Don't judge me, okay, I'm having a fashion crisis!" Sam said, grabbing a light jacket. "And I'm hungry."

The Englishwoman chuckled. "Okay, we'll stop on our way to the mall."

"You're the best. I love you." The producer kissed Lara's cheek before dragging her out of the room.

* * *

Sam was due in less than a month and she knew she should be resting, and yet, here she was, in the foyer, yelling at Lara after her last minute trip for being reckless and getting hurt once again.

"I don't know if you have such a huge ego after surviving so much that you think you can't die or if you still have a death wish and don't care if you live but…"

"I do care, I swear. It was supposed to be a simple exploration of a tomb, I didn't know it would turn out that way." Lara defended herself. "I told you I should stay here with you but you said it was just a week so I should go."

"Because you were like a lion in a cage!" The older woman exclaimed. "You were turning green from jealousy about this Carter Bell dude." She let out a long, exasperated sigh. "I wanted you a hundred percent with us for the last few weeks and not wondering what praises he would get for discovering a new artifact."

The archaeologist gasped. "I am not jealous of him. I am a better archaeologist than he is and we started doing documentaries way before it was a trend."

"Please," Sam rolled her eyes, knowing damn well her wife was jealous but didn't want to admit it. "The last time you saw him on TV you kept muttering that you did it first and you did it better."

"Because it's true!"

"Oh my god, Lara, we both know you're a goddess in your field, he's just the new guy. The hype will die down." Sam rubbed her belly as she felt the baby kick.

"But he's everywhere!" The Englishwoman huffed. "During our expedition, I told him not to touch anything in the temple but he didn't listen, how is it my fault?" She crossed her arms, almost petulantly.

"Listen, whatever happened there, it's done," The filmmaker sighed wearily, walking to the couch so she could sit and rest her legs. "But you have a family now and soon we'll be three. You can't dive head first into the danger anymore. I'm not saying stop exploring; I would never take that away from you but, please, just… curve the getting high on danger thing a bit." She frowned as she felt another strong kick from the baby.

"I already did, and I know you wouldn't take it away from me." Lara puffed some air, joining her wife on the couch. "I shouldn't have let him get on my nerves with his ' _this belongs to a museum, Lara, not your private collection_ '.'' She mimicked his voice, full of disdain. "I just wanted to prove to him that I wasn't like that. You know me, you know that I only keep what the world isn't ready to see, what could put people in danger. I'm doing this to protect the world, not out of greed."

"I know," Sam took Lara's hands in hers. "And although it sounds a bit like you have a hero complex, you're not wrong."

"I don't have a hero complex!" Lara pulled away, standing up from the couch. "I was, I don't know…" She moved in front of the fireplace, staring at the flames for a moment. It might be the end of spring but the evenings could be chilly in the manor and since the pregnancy, Sam tended to get cold easily. "It doesn't matter, I'm here and I'm sorry…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Sam exclaimed.

The archaeologist turned around to look at her wife. "I am not!"

"No, not you. " The producer cried in pain, holding her belly.

"Sam…" Lara reached out, noticing the water on the couch and floor.

"My water just broke." Feeling the panic slowly seeping through her veins, Sam grabbed her wife's hand and squeezed it.

The Englishwoman stared at Sam's belly, alarmed. "But you're not due until three weeks."

"Well, I guess our daughter is also upset that her mummy was reckless." The older woman said through gritted teeth. She saw a flash of hurt in her wife's eyes and instantly felt bad for her comment. "Okay, I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, I…" She stopped, screaming in pain.

The cry of pain pushed Lara into action. She gathered her in arms, carefully lifting her off the couch. "Let's get you to the hospital."

"Oh my God," Sam wrapped her arms around her wife's neck. "We're gonna meet our daughter. I'm scared."

"I'm here, love." Lara kissed Sam's forehead as she rushed to the car. "Everything is gonna be okay."

* * *

Thankfully, the baby's delivery went well and when the doctor asked for a name, the mothers proudly said, "Camilla, Camilla Amelia Croft."

A few hours later, once the nurses were gone and Sam and Lara were alone in the room with their daughter sleeping peacefully in the bassinet, Lara started remembering the fight they had just before rushing to the hospital.

"I'm sorry." Lara sat on the side of Sam's hospital bed. "It's my fault if you went into labor early, I got you angry and…"

"Lara, no," Sam put a gentle hand on Lara's shoulder. "I pushed you to go. I should know by now that even when you're being careful, trouble finds you anyway." She sighed. "I just wanted you to have one last trip before everything changes. I know your career is important and you've already postponed a few projects to stay close to me during the pregnancy so…"

"Yes, my career is important but you two are more important to me, and ..." The archaeologist bowed her head, looking sheepish. "You were right. I am a bit jealous of the attention Carter is getting. It wasn't as easy for us but, he can have all the praises because I have something he doesn't, an amazing wife and a precious daughter."

"You're such a sweet talker." The filmmaker looked at her wife with loving eyes. "I love you."

Lara leaned to kiss Sam's lips softly. "I love you too and again, I'm sorry, I still feel guilty."

"Please, don't." Sam insisted, waving off the apology. "I've been feeling a bit off for the past few days, even before I knew you were hurt so I guess it was going to happen anyway."

The Englishwoman frowned. She had been unaware of Sam's sickness. "Why didn't you tell me when I called you?"

"Because I thought it was nothing and I didn't want you to rush home for no reason."

"You should have told me." If her wife had said anything about it, Lara would have taken the first plane to be by her side, the expedition be damned.

"I'm sorry but our doctor said Cam and I were fine. She thought it was just the apprehension of the due date. So please, don't beat yourself up, we're all okay." The producer reassured, glancing at their daughter. "Besides, I was tired of wobbling around the house. I was driving you, Kaz and Jonah crazy and god, poor Winston…"

The couple laughed until they heard the baby whine. Lara stood up and carefully took the tiny buddle in her arms, like it was the most precious thing in the world. She stared at her daughter with tearful eyes. "I didn't know you could feel that way…"

"What way?" Sam questioned.

"Like a part of you, of your heart, is living outside of your body." Lara gently stroked the baby's hair. "She's so beautiful and fragile… I mean, I already feel like a part of my heart is always with you but here, it's different…"

"I think it's called motherhood, I feel the same way."

Lara kissed Camilla's forehead tenderly and whispered. "I will always keep you and your mum safe. I love you." She smiled at the baby before looking at her wife, feeling so much love for the woman she had married and who had given her a child. "Thank you, for being my wife, for giving us this gift. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Sam yawned, smiling tiredly.

"You should sleep, love." The archaeologist softly told her, settling in the chair next to the bed with Camilla against her chest. "We're not going anywhere."

"I can't wait to go back to the manor." The older woman settled as comfortably as she could in the bed.

"Me too, now get some rest."

* * *

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 _ **Side Note:** Why did I choose that name? For two reasons, one, as a little wink to the actress who for me, is the perfect Lara, badass and soft and two, for its meaning. In the Roman history, Camilla was the daughter of a king, sent away to work under Diana (goddess of the hunt, also called Artemis). She was an amazing warrior, described as the strongest living female mortal ever and she was known to run so quickly she could turn blades of grass into ashes."kāmil" is also the Arabic word for perfection. So all that convinced me to give Sam and Lara's child that name, because she's the legacy of two badass women and the perfect symbol of their love. Also, as she grows up, she would look a bit like Ella Gross._


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